


A Sour Taste at Black Cherry Estate

by ShadowDrifter



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Banter, Chaebol au, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family Dynamics, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Smut, Pining, Recreational Drug Use, Rich family is very rich, SO MUCH BANTER, Sharing a Bed, Winter, rich boy Mark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:55:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 42,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29331189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowDrifter/pseuds/ShadowDrifter
Summary: Mark is in a tough place, and he needs someone hot, single, and willing to scam the fuck out of his family for a weekend. His goal? To get back into his dying grandfather's will before it’s too late. If having to fake a serious engagement is going to improve his sorry chances even a little bit, then he needs to find someone perfect for the job. And when a friend suggests just the guy, Donghyuk, well, Mark quickly finds out that he doesn’t disappoint.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 55
Kudos: 238
Collections: Love Dream 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lovertonic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovertonic/gifts).



> Hello tonic!! Your prompt (which I ripped heavily for the summary) was so good that I practically wrote an entire novella off it! I hope you like it despite its length. I really had so much fun writing it. It might be one of the most rewarding projects I’ve done yet. This fic did end up kind of being something like a love letter to Haechan (ily king), so I hope you’re a fellow sunflower~ 
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys it!  
> If ya'll leave comments as you read I will happily kiss you on the lips (This is a good thing)
> 
> **Hal-aboeji = Grandfather

_Mark, it’s Mom. It’s about Hal-aboeji. I didn’t want to have to say it over a voicemail, but you never answer my calls anymore. I honestly don’t know what I expected this time… Anyway, I’m not going to beat around the bush. Hal-aboeji, your grandfather, is going to die soon; we got the test results back. He only has a few months left. We all knew it was coming but… ah, it’s really too bad._

_Look, another reason why I called though, is that your Uncle says Hal-aboeji is going to be updating the will after his New Year’s ball, Mark._

_Don’t you see? This is your chance to get back on it! You know how important this is to me, to your future. That money would allow me to retire and you… well, allow you to do whatever it is you want._

_Honestly, I wouldn’t even have bothered because I know you hate us—hate your poor mother—but, well, you know how your hyung's business is going… If only that old man had died last year when Johnny’s business was soaring! The fucking timing…_

_Look—Mark, please consider coming to the New Year’s party. I hear it’s going to be spectacular, you’ll have fun! You know the old man used to have a soft spot for you. If you just kiss up to him for now maybe he will forgive you. Me and your Aunt and Uncle are busy, so only your cousins will all be going. They’re all trying to get on his good side as well! So just come, please. And don’t talk about your band or group or whatever—Hal-aboeji never understood all that bullshit anyway. Talk about how you’ve re-enrolled in university! Even if it isn’t an Ivy League like your cousin, Jisung, I’m sure he’ll be happy. Okay?_

_Ah, it would be best if you were bringing someone home, Hal-aboeji loves that, but knowing you, it wouldn't be anyone good. So let's just focus on your academics._

_After all, Hal-aboeji just misses you, dear. Just be…_ normal _for this one weekend, and I will stop bothering you. I’ll even pay for your classes at this university, okay? You can redeem yourself, so don’t throw out this chance._

_I just want to be able to be proud of you._

_Oh! it’s beeping. Okay well—_

  
  


The voicemail cut out and Mark chewed on the inside of his cheek, knee bouncing. He’d listened to it too many times to count in the last week, almost had it memorized at this point, and yet he still hadn’t responded. The whole voice message was just so fucking unbelievable. Mark couldn’t believe that his mom didn’t realize how she sounded. Her father was dying and yet all she was worried about was the will. It was always the fucking _will_. 

It was about the will, about securing a spot on it, when Mark had to go to the boarding school grandpa wanted, the university he wanted, and even date the woman grandpa wanted! So when Mark had finally been done living a life hand-picked for him and dropped out of Stanford, as punishment, he’d been taken out of the sacred _will_. Grandpa had essentially disowned him, and thus he became the disappointment of the whole family—no one was paying his bills anymore either.

Honestly, though, Mark had been happier. He’d moved to Seattle, gotten his first real job, and started a band like he’d always wanted to with his best friends, and it fucking rocked. Jeno, Renjun, Jaemin and Yangyang made great roommates _and_ bandmates. They lived on their own schedule. Plus, now that Mark didn’t have someone breathing down his neck, he’d even gotten that tattoo he’d always wanted—much to his mother’s horror. 

He was finally allowed to find out who he really wanted to be, _who_ he currently was—his mom also wasn’t very happy when all this led to him coming out as gay, but he really didn’t care. He’d decided to live for himself and not for his grandfather's will, and he loved it. 

Well… _had_ loved it. 

Maybe that’s why Mark couldn’t stop listening to the voicemail. 

Four years of fucking around and working his ass off and yet… He didn’t have anything to show for it. He couldn’t save any of the money he made since it all went to rent, food, and the band—a band which, despite his high hopes and their passion, had never gotten bigger than gigs at bars and likely never would get anywhere at all. It just wasn’t fun anymore.

It was as if he’d been spinning his wheels all along when he thought he was living the fast life. As soon as he stepped out of the nest he found out the American dream was a joke, and it fucking sucked. He was broke and hopeless, and here was his mom with a tempting ass olive branch.

As much as he’d hated it, money really did open all doors, and Mark was sick of having them slammed in his face. All he had to do was dye his hair black again, buy some button-ups, and kiss ass. It wasn’t a bad deal for financial stability and a light at the end of this dark ass tunnel. 

His mom was right as well. That money—even if it was going to get split between him, his brother and three cousins—would be more than enough to live a cushy life. See, it was a skip-generational fund, so none of it would be going directly to their parents (though they would be expected to share). Mark never understood why his grandfather was doing it that way, but it sure made his life harder since it was _his_ fault if his parents didn’t get anything. 

It _was_ a lot of money.

“So sue me, I’m tempted, okay?” Mark ended his entire recount of his dilemma to Jeno with that, throwing his hands up with a sigh. 

“Damn,” Jeno said with a whistle when it was clear Mark was finally done ranting. Guitar sitting in his lap and kicked back in Mark’s desk chair, Jeno strummed the strings as he thought. “I mean, dude, if you're not happy anymore, I think you should do it.”

Mark groaned, flopping back onto his bed and staring up at the Twice poster he had taped to the bottom of Jenos top bunk. “You’re supposed to talk me out of it, asshole! You can’t just encourage me to go back when I’ve literally told you for _years_ how much I hate my fucking family. Plus, I’d have to miss our New Year’s gig! Renjun worked so fucking hard to get that gig for us.” 

Jeno plucked out a thoughtless tune on Marks old wooden guitar, lips pursed. He stopped strumming after a moment and leveled Mark with a look. “Dude, you just said you feel like you're spinning your wheels. Like, I’ve noticed you’ve been super restless and just kinda unhappy lately. It’s not hard to tell—you play _way_ too much Mitski when you're in your feels and shit.”

“Shut up, she’s my comfort artist.”

Jeno sighed and decided not to press it. “Isn't this why you went back to university, though? Cause you felt like you’re stuck? University of Washington isn’t cheap. You took out a loan to go there, Mark. That’s some serious shit that you're gonna need to pay back. I don’t care about the New Year’s gig—it’s just a gig. I care about you and your mental health. I love you and just wanna see you happy.”

“Thanks bro, I love you too.”

“Of course dude. Look, if you're feeling like shit and the bills are piling up, I don’t think kissing your grandpa's ass for money makes you a bad person or whatever. It makes you a guy with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to escape this shit—one the rest of us don't have, may I add. 

“Even if you go, you might still not make it into his will, but if you don’t go, you definitely won't. Ya know, ‘ _you’ll miss all the shots you don't shoot_ ’ and all that shit. I mean, look at it like this, if you don’t go, are you going to think about it for the rest of your life? Are you going to regret not trying?”

Mark put an arm over his eyes, deflating a little as Jeno’s words washed over him. 

“Plus, don’t you want to see your grandfather? No offense, but you shit on your mom for only talking about the will, but that’s all you’ve talked about this whole time as well. He’s still your grandpa, dude. Didn’t you live with him during your childhood as well? You should at least see him before he dies. Even if you hate him.”

Mark rolled onto his side, twirling the sheets between his fingers. “I don’t _hate_ him, just strongly resent—there’s a difference. Hell, I used to worship that man when I was a kid.” He thought about his grandfather, wrapped in his traditional Hanbok and sitting straight and proud, even in his wheelchair. He’d always been so serious, but every now and then his sharp features cracked for just a moment to reveal the gentle curve of his smile. Mark used to live for those moments. “Fuck, you’re right… I really should see him. I would regret it if I didn’t.”

“Exactly.”

Mark let out a long withering sigh before sitting up suddenly. “And I want his fucking money, too. He owes me that much for the shit he put me through.”

Jeno smiled at him and leaned over to ruffle Mark’s blue hair, “now that’s what I’m talking about! Let’s get you that bread, Mark.”

“Yeah, fuck yeah!” Mark was suddenly jittery with excitement. “Okay, okay, but if I’m going to do this… I’m going to do it right. I’m going to be _perfect_.”

  
  


~•❧•~

  
  


“Nervous?” Renjun asked, peering across the table over the lid of his coffee cup. 

Mark slipped a finger under his collar and pulled on it, grimacing. “I’m just not used to formal clothes. It’s been so long. I feel like this shirt is too tight as well…” He looked down at the white button-up, where it clung to his figure and hugged his biceps. 

“Nope, trust me it’s the _perfect_ size,” Renjun reassured, eyes flicking over him. “You just don’t wear form fitting shit. It’s a shame—you have a nice body. I mean, you almost look hot now.”

Mark snorted.

“Lean over,” Renjun commanded, making grabby hands. Mark obliged and Renjun swiftly unbuttoned the top few buttons of Mark’s shirt and fixed the collar. “There, now you don’t look like you're going to your eighth grade picture day.” 

“Thanks,” he mumbled, smoothing out the shirt and taking a sip of his overly sugary coffee. Renjun rested his chin on his palm, inspecting Mark with a pinched brow. 

He raised an eyebrow at his friend. “What?”

Renjun shrugged. “I’m totally not used to you actually looking rich. Like you really do know how to clean up well. Compared to yesterday…” He whistled under his breath. “Let just say, it’s impressive what a haircut and a new wardrobe can do for a man.” 

“Thanks?” He wasn’t sure if that was a compliment. Reminded of his hair, though, he opened his phone and inspected it through the camera, making sure it was still slicked back. It was so weird seeing it black again, but Mark had to agree, he did look chic. Like those chaebol guys in K-dramas with daddy issues. Ew. 

Closing his camera, he sighed. _It was only for a little while._

“Just make sure not to say anything stupid, okay? This guy only does this if you're going to fork up, so don't act poor,” Renjun warned. 

Mark rolled his eyes. “Did you forget that I went to a private boarding school and lived on an _estate_ until I was fourteen? I _know_ how to act rich.” 

“Mm-hm, sure. I’ve only ever seen you act _dumb_ , so sorry for doubting you.” 

Mark clicked his tongue but decided to let the jab slide. Now was not the time to squabble when this man could walk in at any moment. He needed to make a good impression. Mark wasn’t fucking around when he’d decided he was going to do this whole thing right. He _was_ getting back into that damn will, even if it meant faking his engagement… which is exactly what he was doing. 

Renjun, a man of many mysteries that Mark had long ago stopped questioning, said he knew someone who knew a guy that did exactly that. This man was hot, single, Korean, and a Significant Other-for-hire. It was this man's job to act like he was dating people, and Renjun said he was good at it as well, a “king of improvisation and oscar-worthy performances.” 

Or so Renjun said—and Renjun said a lot of things.

Mark was curious to see if this man lived up to all the hype, because he really needed him to. If Mark couldn’t find someone good by Thursday, he wasn’t taking anyone. It wasn’t worth risking it, but it would really kill his chances at getting into the will if he didn’t bring anyone… 

It wasn’t just about proving he was “doing better now” by going to university. He also had to prove he was committing to the future and was going to offer something to the lineage. Not that he could _literally_ do that, being gay and all, but it was the symbolism of getting engaged that mattered—respectable inheritance-deserving grandson shit.

Luckily, Grandpa wasn’t homophobic, so him being (fake) engaged to a man wasn’t going to kill his chances. He’d already come out so he couldn’t bring a woman anyway. Plus, the other gay cousin, Jaehyun, was easily Grandpa’s favorite. 

Mark had a shot.

But this fiancé of Mark’s still needed to be the “perfect” example of what his family liked—rich, hot, and Asian—in order for him to look like he was making good decisions and legitimate commitments. Oddly, him being almost completely cut off from his family for the past four years was working in his favor here. He could just make up how long they’d been dating and everything. He’d already planned it all out. 

Now, he just needed his perfect co-star.

The cafe’s bell rang.

“Oh shit, that’s him. Mark, act rich, quick,” Renjun hissed under his breath, getting to his feet. As planned, Renjun went to go greet the guy and bring him to Mark.

Steeling himself, Mark didn’t turn to the man right away, instead sitting straighter and adjusting the cuffs of his shirt nonchalantly. He sipped his coffee and tried not to spit it out when he finally laid eyes on the man. 

Relaxed in their soft shape but coming to a deadly point in his black irises—it was the eyes that Mark noticed first, the man lowering his tinted sunglasses to look at Mark down the straight arrow of his nose. The curves of his cupid's bow framed plush lips and waves of voluminous brown hair settled on his tan skin like silk curtains. His features were full of wonderful slopes and a youthful roundness that all converged to form the handsome face of the vixen before him.

Dressed in a white tee with an artful yellow striped blazer and fitted ripped jeans, he oozed the confidence of a man who knew he looked good.

He was like a superstar.

“Donghyuk, this is Mark Lee,” Renjun said, snapping Mark out of his daze. Mark swiftly got to his feet, coming up to eye level with the man. He was just as intimidating from this angle. “Mark, this is Donghyuk.” 

Donghyuk raised a shapely eyebrow and Mark swallowed. 

“Nice to meet you.” Mark cleared his throat, sticking out a hand.

Donghyuk’s eyes slowly fell to the hand, seeming to think about it before grabbing his hand with a strong grip—a handshake Hal-aboeji would like, Mark noted. 

“You as well,” is all Donghyuk said. His voice was a higher pitch than Mark expected, but it was nice. 

Mark was thankful when Donghyuk let go of his hand, worried it was getting sweaty. It was Mark who was interviewing _him_ , he tried to remind himself. He didn’t need to be nervous, even if this Donghyuk guy was _way_ out of his league.

Where did Renjun find this guy?

Renjun, playing his part, pulled out the chair across from Mark for Donghyuk to sit in. Sliding off his sunglasses and taking his time to fold them before placing them on the table, Donghyuk stared at him. “So you need a professional, I hear?” 

Mark cleared his throat again, trying to get into a rich-guy headspace. “Yes. Renjun probably told you as much, but I need someone convincing, since my family is _extremely_ perceptive.” 

The corner of Donghyuk’s mouth cocked upward and he leaned back in his seat. “Well if you want someone who will sell it, you have the right man. I’ve never gotten caught before… but I hope you know I come with a price.” 

Mark glanced at Renjun, who’d helped him work out how he should do this, before nodding. “I’m aware. I’m trying to get into my grandfather's will by bringing you, so I want to propose a deal.”

Donghyuk crossed his long legs and stared right at Mark, gesturing for him to continue.

Mark held out his hand and Renjun put a little note pad in it, flipped open to a page with a number already written on it. Donghyuk didn’t move, eyes only flicking to it briefly when Mark slid it to him. He couldn’t read the man's face at all, his features schooled into perfect neutrality.

“That’s it?”

Mark’s heart sank, but he bit back a frown and pointed his finger at the number—a number which could easily bankrupt him at the moment. “This is how much I’ll give you regardless of whether I get into the will or not. I’ll need to keep up the act for probably a month or two after New Year’s—until my grandpa passes—but posting pictures together on social media should be more than enough to convince them, so I really only need your full dedication for one weekend.”

Donghyuk raised a displeased eyebrow.

Mark breathed in deeply through his nose, heart starting to beat against his chest when he snatched the notepad back and reached for a pen. He tried not to shake as he added, not one, but _two_ zeros to the number. He stared at it for a moment before he clicked his pen closed and slid the notepad back. 

“ _This_ is how much I’ll pay you if I _do_ get into the will.” 

Finally, a light seemed to glint in the man's eyes and he reached out to drag the notepad a little closer. Mark knew it was kind of a gamble, since the baseline pay, while more than Mark even had in his bank account, wasn’t exactly impressive. So all his hope really hinged on this Donghyuk guy being somewhat of a cocky high roller, willing to take a big risk for a _big_ reward—a result almost completely based on his own performance. If he accepted, Mark could rest assured this guy was confident in his skills and his own resultant success.

After an agonizing second of Donghyuk doing nothing at all, a Cheshire grin broke out over his face and he leaned forward. “Tell me everything I need to know about your family then, Mr. Lee.”


	2. Chapter 2

“I’m sorry again, Renjun,” Mark said as he hugged the man closer. 

“Whatever, it’s just a gig,” Renjun grunted, clearly still upset.

“I’ll make it up to you, I swear. If I get the money I’ll buy you a new laptop or something.” 

Renjun perked up a little. “Really?” 

“Uh… yeah.”

“Deal! Thanks Markie-poo!” Renjun squeezed him so tight he gasped. 

After he was released he clutched his chest, trying to catch his breath. Jaemin and Yangyang laughed at him, one of them patting him on the back supportively. They got a few weird looks from the stream of people passing by in the airport. It was absolutely packed since it was the day before New Year’s, the four of them squeezed into a corner by the entrance to the airport security gates. 

“I wanna know all the gossip, so keep us updated,” Yangyang said.

“Ooh, yeah, your family is bursting with juicy gossip!” Renjun agreed. 

“I’ll FaceTime every night probably, don’t worry,” Mark assured them, glad his friends were too invested in his drama to be angry at him for ruining their holiday plans. 

“Here.” Jaemin handed him a brand new white bandana, an item of clothing Mark often sported.

“Oh thanks, man. You don’t need to give me a gift though, I’m only leaving for a couple days…” Mark was still touched, trying not to smile too widely.

Jaemin laughed. “That’s not for you, dumby. I want you to get me Jaehyun and Taeyong signatures, remember?” 

“Oh… yeah.” 

“Holy shit I forgot you’re gonna meet  _ the  _ Lee Taeyong!! You’re so lucky, holy shit! I want his signature as well!” Yangyang squealed, searching his pockets for something to give Mark.

Mark rolled his eyes and shoved the bandana into a pocket of his backpack. “Just share with Jaemin.”

“Not fair!”

“Kids, kids,” Mark chastised with a chuckle, reaching out to ruffle Yangyang’s hair. “Look, I need to get going. I said I’d meet Donghyuk around now. I don’t want to keep him waiting.”

After some grumbling all three hugged him, making sure Mark would bring them all the shit they were demanding. Once they were sure he’d remember, he was able to leave. They waved him off as he disappeared around the corner. 

It took him a while to find Donghyuk, but eventually he spotted the natural brown waves of his hair. Mark stopped in front of where the man was leaning against the wall, waiting outside of security for him. 

Donghyuk had passed on shades in favor of simple lenses today, and they glinted as he looked at Mark. “Aren’t you overdressed for a seven-hour flight?” He said as a greeting. 

Mark’s mouth twitched as he tried not to frown, shifting his weight and adjusting his suit jacket. “Well, aren’t you  _ under _ dressed? We’re getting picked up from the airport in Newport, remember?” 

Donghyuk shrugged, draped in an oversized sweater and fitted sweatpants, neck pillow already clipped around his neck. It was a startlingly different look from what Mark had seen the only other time they’d met. It made Donghyuk look like a college student, especially with the way he was peering through those large clear-rimmed glasses. He would almost be  _ cute  _ today if not for the snarky eye-roll he gave Mark. 

Maybe Donghyuk wasn’t going to be that easy of a companion...

“I’m going to change before we get off the plane, relax. I don’t start getting paid until we land, remember? So I’m Donghyuk for now. And Donghyuk likes being comfortable when he goes on long-ass flights with complete strangers.”

“Jeez, sorry, okay,” Mark mumbled, reaching for their tickets so they could go through security already. He handed Donghyuk his and they got in line, both of them with only backpacks and carry-ons. He’d expected Donghyuk to pack more from the high-society impression he got, but he really didn’t know this guy, so who was he to judge. 

“I should get PreCheck more often,” he said absently as they emerged from the other side of customs in under a minute without even having to take their shoes off. He’d never gotten it before. Must have been a lucky ticket. 

Donghyuk only hummed, looking at his ticket for the gate number. Mark found it first and they started off, probably looking like a very odd duo—one in a suit and the other in sweats. 

Lost in thought, it took him a moment to realize Donghyuk had stopped. He turned and saw the man a few paces behind him, adjusting his glasses as he looked down at his ticket. Padding back, Mark peered over his shoulder.

“What?” 

Donghyuk opened and closed his mouth before glancing at him, seeming a little startled that Mark was so close. He quickly snapped out of it and shrugged instead. “Nothing, I just didn’t take you for much of a splurger, Mr. Lee.” 

“Just call me Mark, please,” he corrected, face heating at how the formality sounded oddly seductive coming from Donghyuk’s full lips. 

“Of course,  _ honey _ , my bad. We should get used to endearments, right?” Donghyuk started to walk away, leaving Mark to process  _ that _ before scrambling after him.

“What do you mean though? About splurging?” he asked when he caught up. He examined his own ticket, trying to see what had caught Donghyuk’s eye. 

Donghyuk glanced at him before pointing at their seat number. “First class?”

“What?” Mark looked down at the number, and sure enough, they had two of the nicest seats on the whole plane. First class on a seven-hour flight! He had not paid for that… had he? No, he would never buy something as ridiculous as this!

Donghyuk pulled out a Nintendo switch when they arrived at their gate, leaving Mark to confront the person at the desk about their tickets, in case he was getting charged extra. 

“I assure you, these are the correct seats,” the man said once again.

“But how? I bought economy class…”

“I looked into our system and you have our Premium Perks, sir…” The employee explained. 

“What? Since when!”

Suddenly he heard, “Minhyung Lee? Is that you?” 

Mark startled and spun around. An older man in a suit approached him with a big smile and clapped him on the back as if they were old friends. 

“Yes?” he squeaked out, confused. He hadn’t heard that name for a couple years.

“It’s very nice to meet you Mr. Lee. I’m the West Coast Branch Manager for this airline. I heard you had questions. I’m sorry for the confusion. I thought we sent an email informing you of your upgrade.”

“Uh…”

“Well it’s fine if you didn’t see it! I hope you don’t mind us upgrading your seats without asking. I just couldn’t bear to let the family of our biggest stockholders fly economy! Surely your grandfather wouldn’t be pleased. I’m sorry we didn’t catch you earlier as well. If you’d like, we can have you seated in our private lounge while you wait for the flight to start boarding, Mr. Lee.” He spoke extremely fast and was smiling too widely.

“It’s fine. No, thank you… I’m not getting charged for this, am I?” he asked sheepishly, lowering his voice so Donghyuk wouldn’t hear.

“Of course not! I upgraded you myself, free of charge. If you don’t want the lounge, can I perhaps gift you a bottle of wine for your flight?” 

“Oh god, no it’s okay. Thank you for the offer though, really. And the upgrade!” The man smiled at him for a silent beat, and Mark gritted his teeth a little. “And, I’ll make sure to let my grandfather know of your kindness.”

“Oh, you don’t have to,” he said with a fake laugh. Mark knew that was  _ exactly _ what he’d wanted. “But thank you. You’re very kind. I’m sure your grandfather is proud. Wish him well from us at Prime Air, okay?”

“Sure.”

The man squeezed his shoulder and smiled again. “I hope you enjoy your flight, Mr. Lee.” Pointing at the employees before he left, he added, “Make sure my friend here has a very nice flight, alright?” 

Mark just gave him a polite smile and let out a long sigh when he was finally left alone, glad not many people had seen what had transpired. The people behind the desk were sending him looks, though, far more apprehensive of him now that they realized he was some big shot.

Mark hated that look. That had been the worst part from all those years ago—the alienation. 

Mark’s grandfather was well-known at this stage, one of the richer and more well-respected investors in the US—proper old money were the only ones who knew of his grandfather were the other top one percent.  _ Real wealth means flying under the radar. Only fools flaunt,  _ Mark remembered his grandfather explaining to him. 

Everyone had always kissed up to the old man, and now even to Mark, trying to get on his good side, especially now that Hal-aboeji was dying. Who knew where he’d send his money and stocks to. It was about to be a fucking feeding frenzy, and Mark had just thrown himself into the shark’s jaws. 

As soon as Mark gets off that plane and steps foot in his hometown, he won’t just be any other guy—he’ll be Lee Minhyung, Grandson of Sir Jung Kihoon and possible inheritor of the Jung empire’s wealth. 

It was going to fucking suck.

  
  


~•❧•~

  
  


For someone who did this kind of job often, Donghyuk was oddly mystified by first class. He was busy adjusting the big chair this way and that, opening all the pockets and screens around them, and accepting all the food offered to him for the first hour of the flight. Mark rationalized that even for first class, this was pretty nice. He didn’t know much about Donghyuk, but he surely wasn’t already rolling in money if he was doing jobs like this. 

Mark pursed his lips as Donghyuk swirled and sniffed the wine in his glass before taking an appreciative sip. Even though he was openly curious, he still somehow managed to look perfectly at home. It took him a mere second to register how he should be acting and what etiquette was required just by glancing at Mark’s face—though he already seemed to have a good grasp of it all. It was impressive how in just an hour, Donghyuk had gone from oblivious to very convincingly roleplaying wealth. If not for the sweats, Mark might be tempted to say he had class. 

Perhaps Renjun hadn’t been lying, since the more Mark saw, the more he felt confident in his hire.

“Can I ask how old you are?” 

Donghyuk’s eyes shot to him and he set down his glass. “Why do you want to know?”

“Well… I mean, we’re gonna be spending some time together and—” Donghyuk blinked boredly and Mark decided he needed a better reason. “—and, uh… it’ll be easier to lie if I tell part of the truth. So I should know some general stuff about you. We haven’t really gone over the details of what our story is gonna be after all. So yeah, I don’t know,” Mark said, wincing. 

Donghyuk took another sip of his drink and Mark worried for a second he would refuse, but he just shrugged. 

“Okay.”

Mark relaxed into his chair, relieved they finally had something to talk about after nearly an hour of crushing silence. He picked up his own glass, reasoning that he shouldn’t waste it.

“I’m twenty-one.”

He nearly spit out the wine but forced himself to swallow and just ended up coughing. “What?”

“What’s so surprising?” Donghyuk crossed his arms.

“Well, I’m like twenty-five. I just kind of expected you to be… the same age as well.”

Donghyuk shrugged. “I’ve dated people  _ way _ older than you, trust me. You’re  _ barely _ older, so I don’t mind. Plus, we might as well be the same age with how awkward you are…” he muttered.

“You’re real bold now that I’ve signed the contract, huh?” Mark hissed out, downing the rest of his glass. Maybe he shouldn’t have tried to talk to Donghyuk during the flight at all… he didn’t think he could live with more silence though. “So you're in college, then, right?”

“Yeah. You don’t need to know which one, though. But for your fake fiancé, Haechan, let’s say I’m studying abroad at the University of Washington for my senior year and that’s how we met. Haechan goes to SNU in South Korea and is in pre-law, let's say. That’s pretty prestigious, I think.” 

“Uh, yeah SNU is one of the top schools in East Asia, I think.”

“Exactly. Your fiancé needs to be accomplished and promising, right?”

Mark nodded along, a little saddened he wouldn’t be allowed to know much personal information about Donghyuk. He supposed it was for the better though, even if it meant he would stay curious. This was strictly a business deal after all. Nothing more. 

“You said I need to come from a wealthy family, right?” 

“Yeah, my grandpa likes when we marry into even more money. Like, my brother's wife is also from old money.”

“Yeah, I remember. Hm… Will he do a background check?” Donghyuk asked, adjusting his glasses as he opened his phone. Mark had watched him take copious amounts of notes on it already, so he assumed that's where he was looking.

Mark felt a rush of panic. “He might…”

“I thought as much, so I bought some old fake social media accounts off some people just in case. They have tons of generic posts from over the years in Korea. I changed the names and edited the captions and even mentioned you a few times where I could. I’m not going to commit identity theft, but I’ve included my older brother's number as a contact—he's an even better liar than I am, so we won’t have to worry if they try to find me, he’ll back my story by playing my rich uncle.”

Mark gaped at him as Donghyuk quickly scrolled through an Instagram and Facebook account to show him. 

“Hopefully that’s enough to convince them…” Donghyuk chewed on his bottom lip, scrutinizing the profiles and quickly editing something.

Mark nodded eagerly, finally closing his mouth. “Yeah, dude, that’ll be more than enough, really. I mean, wow. When you said you were a professional...” 

Donghyuk grinned smugly. “I know what I’m doing. You’re safe in my hands.” Mark jumped when Donghyuk patted his thigh, the younger only smiling wider at his startled face. “Wanna cuddle while we talk?”

“W-what?” Mark had to resist climbing out of his seat to escape the mischievous hand resting on his thigh.

“Well, we can’t have you jumping like that in front of your family, now can we? Now is the perfect time to get used to physical contact as well! We're stuck in these chairs that can conveniently combine and turn into a bed for the next six hours anyway,” Donghyuk explained matter-of-factly, completely at odds with the playful pressure of his fingertips. “Don’t look so horrified, Mark. I’m being serious. We’re probably going to have to kiss at some point as well, you know?” 

Mark pushed that image out of his mind before it could form. Schooling his face, he forced himself to relax. It's not that bad, he told himself. He cuddled with Jeno sometimes after all! Well... he wasn't fake dating Jeno though, was he? Mark really needed to keep from looking awkward with his alleged fiancé.

Mark sighed. “Fine, but only for a little.”

“Yay!” Donghyuk’s hand finally disappeared and Mark’s shoulders relaxed. “Lucky for you, I actually love cuddling. I’m  _ very _ good at it,” he said as he swiftly started moving things around to get rid of the center console that separated them. Had he been messing around earlier just to figure out how to do  _ that _ ? 

In no time, Donghyuk had combined their two chairs, patting the spot beside him as if Mark were a dog. Rolling his eyes, he took off his suit jacket and scooted over a little only to suck in a breath when Donghyuk suddenly latched onto him, throwing a leg over his lap and hugging an arm around his chest. 

The younger laughed, his cheek warm on Mark's shoulder. “Mmm, it's like hugging a rock. Are you like this with your lovers too, Mr. Lee?” 

“Mark,” he corrected swiftly, face already heating up of its own accord. “And no...”  _ I hope not _ . Honestly, he wasn’t really a big fan of skinship, but on top of that he hadn’t dated anyone in… god, in  _ years _ . So you could call him out of practice with the whole being-in-a-relationship thing—fake or not. He wasn’t about to tell Donghyuk that though.

Donghyuk rested his chin on Mark’s shoulder so he could look up at him through his long lashes. “Then treat me like a lover, Mark.” 

Mark had to close his eyes and just take a second because…  _ fuck _ . Was Donghyuk purposefully playing with him? Or was he just doing his job and Mark was making it weird?

“Okay,” he replied weakly, trying to relax. 

Donghyuk chuckled, airy and content, as he laid his head back on Mark's chest and deflated into him. Mark shifted his arm so he could wrap it around the younger, letting out a breath and settling into the comfortable first-class seat. 

“How should we have met? You and Haechan.” Donghyuk’s voice was muffled, and Mark could see he had his eyes closed, looking like he was enjoying himself. Maybe he was… or maybe he was just acting.

Mark cleared his throat. “So this is what I had in mind…”

  
  


~•❧•~

  
  


The hours flew by, especially after they decided their backstory was as airtight as possible. Donghyuk even took detailed notes and sent them to him in case he forgot. Mark was beginning to get the impression that Donghyuk was more worried about  _ him _ fucking up… which was probably the more likely outcome, honestly. 

So he decided to just do whatever Donghyuk suggested. He was a professional, after all. Reluctantly, he even put a heart next to ‘Haechanie’ in his contacts when Donghyuk insisted, Donghyuk in turn showing Mark the revoltingly sweet nickname he’d given him in his phone:  _ Soulmate <3 _ . 

They did all of this while cuddling, which Mark was surprised to find himself kind of liking. He had to admit, Donghyuk  _ was _ a good cuddler; his limbs were always in the right places and he changed positions exactly when he should. It was nice.

Mark was kind of sad when the movie they were watching ended, even though he wasn’t really paying attention anyway. How could he focus when Donghyuk’s thumb kept running up and down his ribs? His thumb stopped though when the movie did and pulled away, and Mark tried not to frown. Donghyuk checked the time and swore under his breath. 

“I gotta change,” Donghyuk said, grabbing his backpack and leaping over Mark’s legs to scamper off to the bathroom. 

Maybe Mark was just chronically lonely and touch-starved, but he found himself practically counting the seconds every time Donghyuk left his side, feeling a coldness creep in without him. Perhaps the airplane was just chilly?

He sighed, scrubbing his face with a hand. Sitting on this plane was making him drowsy, he rationalized.

The stewardess had just brought him his coffee when Donghyuk returned.

In black fitted pants, an ironed white-on-black patterned button up, and a shiny little necklace, he once again looked absolutely dazzling. “Cleaning up well” was not even the right expression to describe it, because Donghyuk somehow looked good in anything. This style just really brought out how long his legs were, and how movie-star-handsome he was. 

Getting off the plane with him made Mark flush, because Donghyuk looked like he was about to walk the runway, pink-lens aviator sunglasses propped on his nose and hair tousled just so, while Mark looked like he was on his way to his shitty nine-to-five with his simple, wrinkled suit. He started to wonder if his family would see through this ruse simply because Donghyuk was  _ way _ out of his league. 

The younger certainly turned some heads as he strode through the airport, his wedge ankle boots echoing against the hard floor. He turned to look over his shoulder at Mark and Mark nearly tripped. 

“Rhode Island is your turf, so lead the way,  _ dear _ ,” Donghyuk said, smiling at him and holding out a hand as if it was the most natural thing ever. Oh yeah, they’re supposed to be engaged. 

When Mark laced their fingers together he felt the cold metal of the wedding band around Donghyuk’s finger—it was a simple silver band with just one (fake) diamond inlaid in it that Mark had bought for twenty dollars from a pawnshop. It had still felt weird when he’d handed it to Donghyuk. It almost seemed like he should have gotten on one knee just for the ritual of it. But they weren’t really engaged, so whatever. 

Mark led them through the airport and out to the pick-up zone, starting to get an awful curdling sensation in his stomach as the familiarity of it all crashed over him. The smell of the cold coastal air, the accents, and the coat-centric east coast fashion. Even the slushy days-old grey snow on the ground made him nauseously nostalgic.

_ It's just for a weekend _ .

“Young Master?”

They both turned to the voice and Mark smiled. Standing next to a slick, black sedan was the estate’s valet, his grandfather's personal servant who was more like family to Mark than some of his actual family. “Doyoung!” he called back. Doyoung was closer to his brother, Johnny’s age and still proper and handsome as ever in his vest suit. He was almost like a second older-brother, and Mark was relieved his face was the first he’d see. 

As they walked across the street, Mark leaned in to whisper to Donghyuk. “Doyoung, estate valet—aka my grandpa's eyes and ears. He’s the one we have to be careful of. He practically grew up with me, so no slipping up,” he warned. 

Donghyuk just nodded, lowering his sunglasses to inspect the man before waving at him. Doyoung eyed Mark’s companion curiously but, ever the professional, his friendly smile never wavered once. 

“I knew Master Mark was bringing a plus one, but I never caught a name,” Doyoung said once they’d approached. He quickly collected their carry-ons and opened the back doors for them as he went to put their bags in the trunk all in one swift sequence of movements. 

Donghyuk waited for him to return before holding out a hand which Doyoung took. “I’m Lee Haechan, Mark’s fiancé,” he said simply. 

Mark watched with great admiration as Doyoung kept his shock almost completely hidden behind his pleasant poker face. He’d considered telling everyone who exactly he was bringing before arriving, but he thought it might be more suspicious to reach out to everyone just to tell them than to say nothing at all. Plus, he kind of wanted to see them struggle to not act surprised. 

“Well it’s very nice to meet you then, Mr. Lee,” Doyoung replied, shaking his hand firmly. 

“You as well, Doyoung-ssi.” Donghyuk was so kind and friendly suddenly that it nearly threw Mark off. He’d been nothing but pointed, charismatic, and overwhelmingly frisky with Mark... but he fell so easily into character now. “Also, I’m sorry for coming unannounced. Mark only recently felt ready to tell everyone, and I wanted to meet the family! I know I’m practically a stranger, but I hope that’ll change this weekend.”

“It’s fine. It’s not your fault you're a stranger, after all. Everyone will be excited regardless! Mark’s mother especially, when she finds out. She’s wanted him to get married for  _ years _ . Come, we best not keep them waiting.”

Mark was astonished with how quickly Donghyuk was able to make a friend of someone. Just within the thirty-minute drive, he was able to get the famously uptight Doyoung to relax. Their conversation flowed and ping-ponged back and forth with ease, Doyoung even cracking up more than once. Mark was all but forgotten with Donghyuk practically leaning through the center console to talk to Doyoung. 

He was fine with that though, unsure he’d be able to navigate friendly conversation with the way his stomach was roiling. He hadn’t been back to the Rhode Island estate for more than six years, and had barely heard a peep from anyone but his immediate family in almost as long. 

Donghyuk wasn’t the only stranger coming home today.

He only realized he’d been biting his nails when the familiar gates came into view, and he made himself sit on his hands so that his nerves didn’t make him whittle them ragged. 

The snowy grounds of Black Cherry Estate rolled out before them as the tall iron gates opened, revealing first the football field-length manicured lawn and then Cherry Manor at the far end of it. Similar to other Rhode Island mansions, it was designed after a mid-eighteenth-century French chateau. Its warm marble walls rose high above the ground, adorned with artful arches and statues adorned with inlaid embellishments. The long gravel drive eventually circled the massive—currently frozen—fountain, fitted with naked angels and all, that sat directly in front of the main doors. 

The grounds the manor sat on were larger than many of the others in the area, the wooded hills rolling off behind it full of hidden buildings and treasures. The estate's namesake, wild black cherry trees, and their showy white flowers were also a common sight. During the spring, Mark used to go horseback riding around the grounds with Johnny, before he got married and left Mark behind, that is.

The estate was as prestigious as it sounded. If not for his grandfather, Mark was sure the house would have been constantly rented for historical period pieces.

He’d seen it enough to no longer be dazzled by its looming figure, but Donghyuk definitely hadn’t. The man slumped back into his seat, lowering his sunglasses and leaning slightly over Mark’s lap to look out the window at the goliath. He was trying not to look too impressed, but the slight crease of his brow gave it all away. 

“One of my father’s own mansions might be as big, but it's nowhere near as opulent as this palace,” Donghyuk said with an appreciative grin, lying so easily. “I thought I already knew all the famous houses of Newport, but I’ve never seen this one before.”

“That’s exactly how Master Jung wants it,” Doyoung said, pulling the car around the fountain and up to the wide staircase before the massive doors. He turned around to shoot a look at Donghyuk. “So I’m sure you know better than to go about posting pictures, as tempting as it is. We enjoy our privacy here.”

“I know how it is, don’t worry—I’m not a tourist after all,” Donghyuk replied easily, pushing his sunglasses back up and slipping out of the car. 

Doyoung looked to Mark with a grin. “Though I wished you’d told me earlier... I approve. He’ll fit  _ right _ in.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam-chon = Uncle (sort of, it's complicated but it's uncle in this case.)

Their footsteps echoed throughout the long, tall-ceilinged halls. Marble and Turkish carpets underfoot blended with the soft, wood paneling of the walls— _slightly_ more homely and fresh than those other gaudy homes with white paints and cold stone walls. One could even call the inside humble compared to the luxury of the outside, but Mark knew that was being pretentious. The art pieces that hung from the ‘humble’ wood halls of Cherry Manor were nothing less than priceless. It was not an uncommon occurrence for one of their Monets to be rented out and toured around east coast art exhibits. 

Sometimes he forgot just _how_ rich his family was—how rich he could be too. It was honestly gross to Mark now that he’d lived a normal life with normal people for long enough. He was well aware his own family was that top one percent that he’d started shaking his fists at as of late. 

Their heads would be the first to roll in a revolution undoubtedly. _That's why it's best not to flaunt wealth_ , his grandfather would say to that. Mark rolled his eyes at the thought.

With the manor's size, it was no great surprise that they didn’t see a single soul as they walked the familiar route back to Mark's old room. 

“Master Jung had most of your stuff packed away after you left,” Doyoung explained as they entered the room. “I can have it returned to its former glory if you want?”

“No thanks. I’m fine leaving the Voltron figurines in the boxes… Besides, I don’t plan on making returning a habit,” Mark said, voice a little clipped. 

The four-poster queen bed still sat against the middle of the wall, occupying most of the space along with a few sitting chairs and bookshelves. The door to the private bathroom and closet was open, revealing clean marble and white towels. The room looked more like a Paris hotel than his childhood bedroom now. However, through the dust motes that hung in the air, he could still see the clutter of his youth in his mind's eye. What did he expect? Of course his room would have been cleaned up. He was barely considered family after his _betrayal_. 

“Of course, my bad,” Doyoung chirped, hesitating in the doorway. 

Donghyuk took off his sunglasses and walked around the room, running aimless fingers over the ancient wood carvings of the dresser with an unreadable expression. 

“You know how to reach me or the other servants if you need anything,” Doyoung said. “All your cousins except for Young Master Kun have arrived already, though he should also be here before tomorrow. When you're ready to meet everyone, I believe your brother is entertaining most of them in the parlor.”

Mark nodded curtly, adjusting his suit cuffs.

“Your grandfather is resting in his room, though, so I doubt he’ll make an appearance before dinner,” Doyoung added when he saw the grimace on Mark's face. “He’s nearly bedridden… He’ll want to see you soon, though, Mark.”

“I know, I know. I’ll cross that fucking bridge—sorry, that bridge when I get to it.”

“Very well.” 

“Wait, uh, can you maybe steal a semi-expensive bottle of red from the cellar for me? Something impressive but nothing, like, crazy… notable,” Mark settled on. 

“To dampen the nerves?”

“No, no. Nothing like that. It’s uh... I’ll return it soon, promise.”

With a chuckle, the valet said, “Very well,” closed the door, and left them with their luggage.

“This place is great!” Donghyuk whisper-yelled, his disinterested countenance slipping to reveal a broad smile now that they were alone. He twirled once in the open space before falling back onto the plush bed with a sigh. 

“This place is hell,” Mark countered, not bothering to unpack his bag, just kicking it in front of the chest of drawers and leaving it there for later. “I already feel a fucking migraine coming,” Mark mumbled, eyes drifting around the room with a severe frown on his face.

“So dramatic.” Donghyuk shifted to lay on his side, hip jutted and head resting on his crooked arm, spread out on the big bed like a cat. “I can’t believe you grew up here! Mark, when you said you were rich, I thought you meant Lamborghini-and-indoor-pool rich, not that you’re a fucking prince.”

“I’m not. You might think we’re crazy rich, but trust me… some of the kids I grew up with make me look like I’m just _comfortable_. People don’t realize just how much fucking money is out there, just sitting in bank vaults,” Mark scoffed. He was only half-focused, alreading itching to do drugs or something stupid to try to stop the way his throat was constricting. He dreaded facing his family.

Donghyuk raised an impressed brow, running a hand over the silk sheets. “Eat the rich and all that, I agree—no offense—”

“None taken. I’m not worth much at the moment anyway...”

“—but, come on dude! This is crazy! I thought I knew luxury, really, but wow, candle-lit baths and a good book are nothing compared to all _this_ !” Donghyuk flopped back down, spreading his arms wide. “I mean, you have a _painting_ on your _ceiling_! That’s some real rich kid shit.” Donghyuk cocked his head as he looked at it and Mark snapped his gaze up. “Is that…”

“Star Wars,” Mark breathed, uncrossing his arms as he craned his neck. “Well… it used to be, but it looks like they painted over the Death Star. Now it’s just kind of a space scene. I thought he would have had it all painted over though…” There was a little X-wing still flying in one corner, and Mark wondered if they’d just missed it—it wasn’t very noticeable after all. He was glad it was still there, though. Not totally erased.

Donghyuk suddenly giggled, shaking his head in disbelief. “Shit, Mark.”

“Huh?” He tore his eyes away, chest constricting uneasily.

Donghyuk turned his soft brown eyes back on him. “I want all your money. Let's get married for real.” At his horrified face, Donghyuk cracked and started cackling, throwing his head back. The sound was light and fluffy, ending in a hearty snort. “Calm down—you’re really too easy.”

Mark huffed, slumping against the dresser. “Let’s just put on a good show, and then you can leave here with what I promised, okay?” 

“Of course, dear. Should we get it over with then? You look sicker by the second,” Donghyuk said with a click of his tongue. 

“We need to wait for the—”

Doyoung popped his head back in after a quick knock. He regarded Donghyuk where he was lounging, but didn’t say anything, instead holding out a wine bottle. “A 1989 Domaine Leroy Richebourg Grand Cru—Will it be okay?” 

Mark nodded eagerly. “Perfect, thank you. We'll, uh... be down in a second.”

  
  


~•❧•~

  
  


Donghyuk wasn’t necessarily nervous, he rarely ever really was, but something was definitely tickling his stomach as he strode down the halls towards the ‘parlor.’ Perhaps this was just a bigger job than he’d been expecting. After all, when Renjun had told him his friend was rich Donghyuk had not been expecting _this_ rich. 

He wasn’t worried though. He’d do fine. If Doyoung-with-the-sharp-eyes hadn’t seen through him, then surely the rest of he family wouldn’t either? 

“Mark, dear,” he whispered. 

Mark, who was as stiff as a board and seemed to have forgotten about him, startled.

“How much is this wine? It sounded very fancy.” Donghyuk was partly curious but more so eager to distract the older. Perhaps the family would only interpret it as Mark’s nerves after being gone so long, but Donghyuk couldn’t help worrying they might take his stiffness as a sign he was lying through his teeth. 

“Um,” Mark blinked, seeming to come back to himself a little. He leaned into Donghyuk’s space to turn the bottle and inspect its fancy label. His cologne smelled nice, Donghyuk noted. After a second, Mark shrugged. “I’m not an expert, but I think a bottle like this goes for about six.”

“Six…?”

“Thousand.”

Donghyuk quickly put his other hand under the bottle to support it, holding it closer to him. “Oh, okay.” What the fuck? A six-thousand dollar bottle of wine ‘wasn’t noticeable’ in this house? That was more than what was in Donghyuk’s entire savings account! However, he had seen the Van Gogh on the wall, so he shouldn’t be surprised. 

He just better not drop it. 

Mark had explained that he’d ‘forgotten’ to buy a visiting gift—a requirement for any Korean household, even the rich American ones, it seemed—and so he was just going to have Donghyuk regift the wine. No one would notice, or so Mark said. 

Donghyuk thought it was a little funny that Mark was still trying not to look poor as fuck around him and saying he 'forgot' to buy a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine. Donghyuk knew that was all a ruse. Not only would Donghyuk have been able to see right through him when they first met anyway, but he’d already heard about Mark's situation from Renjun before he even had the chance. 

Mark was dirt poor, and Donghyuk knew it, yet he'd taken the job anyway. He really had nothing to lose though. Donghyuk was also lying through his teeth after all, a con within a con, if you will. 

In all honesty, he’d never done any of this shit before. He was absolutely not a professional fiancé-for-hire, but Mark hadn’t even asked for proof or a résumé, just trusted his friend so easily! Renjun really was one sly fox—well, they both were. That’s what made them such a great duo. He was glad he could trust his friend to find him work when he needed it.

Mark’s gullibility almost made Donghyuk feel bad, really, but then Mark had added those two zeros and well… 

Donghyuk might not be a professional, but he’d consider himself more than qualified for the job. He’d had his fun with a few sugar daddies and their big houses; had some pretty wealthy friends back in Korea who’d taught him etiquette; took acting for eight years; and had even read Crazy Rich Asians! 

It seemed pretty easy so far. He was just being himself. Perhaps he’d always been meant to be eating grapes draped over the back of a luxury fainting couch in some palace. Looking at _all this_ definitely made Donghyuk sure he’d been born into the wrong social class. 

He couldn’t understand Mark at all for wanting to leave it. They all had shitty families and tragic stories, but surely putting up with it when your family was filthy fucking rich was worth it? He supposed that was why Mark was back—the pros were just too good for the cons to matter anymore. 

At least Mark wasn’t begging with his tail between his legs. Donghyuk had to admire Mark for his integrity and willingness to con the fuck out of his dying grandfather. It was kind of badass and maybe a little hot. 

Right now though… he looked like he might drop dead any second.

“Hey,” Donghyuk whispered, securing the wine bottle so he could hold out a hand. He was shocked when Mark grabbed it without hesitation, grip tight. 

“Sorry,” Mark said, absently adjusting his fingers so they could interlace them more comfortably. “I’m just nervous.”

“It’s only your cousins, right? From what you’ve told me, they don’t _hate_ you.”

Mark snorted but nodded, swinging their hands a little. “Yeah, but I haven’t talked to them in ages. I kind of… ignored them.”

“Well good thing we brought this _very notable_ wine then. They’ll _have_ to forgive you.” They both chuckled and fell into a comfortable silence. 

Donghyuk craned his neck as they went through a particularly elegant archway, gaze trailing down slowly and eventually falling on Mark, their hands still latched together. At the airport, Mark had looked more put together, but after a seven-hour flight and growing nerves, he’d taken on a more disheveled air. His tie was long gone, he had a few teasing buttons opened, and the gel in his hair had started to go loose, leaving a few strands to fall over his forehead. Donghyuk would have offered to fix him up if it didn’t look so good. Striding through these halls with haphazardly tousled hair, he really looked like the rich guy he was supposed to be. 

As anxious as the man seemed, Donghyuk could tell he’d grown up here—grown up rich. It was just an air of familiarity that clung to him and his unblemished skin and perfect nose. 

In all honesty, Donghyuk didn’t mind playing Mark’s fiancé. Mark was more than easy on the eyes, criminally honest and endearing, and the perfect height for Donghyuk to cling to. If anything, Donghyuk was having fun. 

Down the hall came a pair of rapid approaching footsteps.

“Uncle Mark!”

Mark seemed to only then realize what he was doing and swiftly let go of his hand. Donghyuk flexed his fingers but just went back to holding the wine bottle, smiling at the two children that came running toward them.

Mark smiled and shouldered the impact when the little girl and even younger boy slammed into him, hugging his legs. “Laura, Eren!” The little boy made grabby hands and Mark swooped down to pick him up. 

Thinking back on all his notes, Donghyuk figured this must be Mark’s niece and nephew, Johnny’s kids—the only great-grandkids so far. Laura was eight, and Eren was five. They were so much cuter than Donghyuk was expecting though, all dressed up in their posh little outfits! 

Donghyuk sent Eren a little wave when the boy turned round eyes on him once in his uncle's arms. 

“Who are _you_?”

“You wound me, kid.” Donghyuk overdramatically clutched his chest.

“Hey, that’s not how we talk to people,” Mark scolded, bouncing the boy. “This is, uh, Uncle Mark’s boyfriend. He won't bite,” he added when Eren frowned.

“I might.” Donghyuk bared his teeth and Eren giggled. “Nice to meet you, I’m Haechan,” he said, holding out a serious hand for the little boy. Eren took it and gave him a very adorable handshake. “And you must be Laura.”

Laura nodded, but was completely uninterested in him. Instead, she tugged on her uncle’s sleeve, dragging him toward the parlor. “ _Sam-chon_ , we’ve been waiting for you all day! _Appa_ was worried you weren’t gonna come. He said you have a tattoo now! Is it true?”

Donghyuk grinned as Mark stumbled through an explanation that _yes_ he does have one, and _no_ he can’t show her right now. Before they knew it they were stepping into the parlor. 

Instantly, whatever lively conversation had been present died at their feet.

Donghyuk clutched the wine tighter and straightened his shoulders, suddenly under the scrutiny of some very beautiful and very rich people. Mark hadn’t given him any pictures, so he was slightly startled. How could an entire family be so _gorgeous_? 

Mark put Eren down and the little boy ran to a tall man and one of the only women in the room—probably Johnny and his wife, Amanda. They had a Silicon Valley tech business together and Johnny had been the star grandson, until the business recently started suffering under the weight of their competitor. Amanda was also from an old-money Korean-American family, a ‘perfect wife’ in their grandfather’s eyes, as Mark had explained. She was soft-spoken and polite, but Mark liked her.

There were only three others in the room. Donghyuk pieced together who was who right away. 

The teen lounging in the hoodie was Jisung, the youngest cousin and a freshman at Harvard, top of his class and planning to go to Harvard Medical School. Currently, in a rebellious phase and often rolling his eyes too much, he was still a mama's boy to a fault, and so wouldn’t do anything _actually_ rebellious.

Which meant the other two, sitting on the couch and practically in each other’s laps, must be—

_Holy shit._

Donghyuk tried not to gape. Mark had said his successful gay cousin who, quote, "won an Emmy _or something_ ," was named Jaehyun. Yet he failed to mention his cousin was _Jung Jaehyun_ , famous actor, director, and model. One of People Magazine's sexiest men alive! And that made the person clinging to him his boyfriend, Lee-fucking-Taeyong. A world-famous Korean solo artist and one of the prettiest people Donghyuk knew of. He was even prettier in person!

They even looked like celebrities, draped in furs and colorful silks and sitting with elegantly crossed legs. Taeyong was such a fashionista. Donghyuk loved to see his outfits in magazines and now he got to see them in person!

Mark should have told him. Meeting random rich people was one thing, but Donghyuk had jerked off to Jaehyun before! He needed to prepare himself to meet famous people. 

It took all his self-control to tear his eyes away and repress the fanboy in him. 

“Appa! Mark brought his boyfriend!” Laura announced loudly, grinning up at her uncle. 

“Uh, yeah.” Mark opened and closed his mouth, eyes wide and bouncing around his cousins. Donghyuk put his hand on Mark’s lower back, trying to bring him back to reality. He cleared his throat, glancing at Donghyuk. “This is Lee Haechan, my… fiancé.”

The already raised brows around the room arched even further.

“Hello, I’m Haechan, nice to meet you all.” He repeated it in Korean as well, to show his fluency and prestige, before bowing. When he rose everyone just stared at him, and he couldn’t help going a little stiff. Had he done something wrong?

“I know it seems sudden...” Mark started weakly, rubbing the back of his neck, ears rapidly growing red. 

“Yeah, a little bit, Mark,” Johnny said, dumbfounded. “Radio silence for however long and now you show up with a fiancé? You never even mentioned a boyfriend.”

“I didn’t realize he’d never mentioned me,” Donghyuk lied, throwing Mark under the bus to make it more believable. “I’m really sorry. I hope you understand his… situation. We’ve been dating for two years though, so I hoped …” he explained shyly. 

Johnny instantly looked guilty. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I—You know what? Whatever. It’s very nice to meet you Haechan.” He strode across the room to give Donghyuk a hearty handshake. 

Mark just bit his tongue. 

In the back of his mind, Donghyuk remembered that Johnny, Mark’s only brother, also had never offered Mark any sort of financial support or encouragement all these years. So even if Mark said he liked his brother, the reunion was going to be bittersweet no matter what.

“I know it’s not much, but this was very sudden so I only have this. I hope it’s okay.” Donghyuk held out the wine. Johnny seemed like the person he should give it to.

“Oh, thank you! It’s more than enough, very lovely.” He inspected it with a friendly smile. It was nowhere near the reaction a normal person would give to receiving a six-thousand dollar bottle of wine.

Mark, despite any lingering resentment, embraced his older brother when Johnny approached him. Donghyuk felt like maybe he should look away. It was obvious they hadn’t seen each other in a while, with the way Mark buried his face in his brother's shoulder and the two squeezed each other. It felt too intimate for an outsider like him. 

“So you said you were a Lee. What family are you from?” Johnny asked once Jisung had made room for them to sit down on his couch. Everyone else settled down as well, dead silent.

That question really was only something you’d catch rich people asking. 

“I’m related to the Solar Power Lees. My uncle started one of the first solar power companies in East Asia,” Donghyuk explained, crossing his legs and leaning back into the couch casually. He needed to look comfortable around wealth after all. “I live mostly in Korea, but I spent some time studying abroad in Seattle—that’s how I met Mark.” He laid a hand on Mark's knee and was relieved when the man didn’t flinch or tense up. “I recently graduated from Seoul National University and just got into their Law Program, and that's around when Mark proposed.” Donghyuk smiled at his fiancé and Mark did his best to return the look, taking his hand and squeezing it. So he wasn’t all that bad of an actor then. 

“I see,” Johnny nodded along, sipping his tea from a fancy teacup which was probably some priceless heirloom. 

“I can’t imagine Mark on one knee,” Jaehyun piped up, snorting. Taeyong slapped his boyfriend on the arm a little, chastising him for his rude tone. Mark had mentioned that Jaehyun was the cocky one of the family now that he was famous beyond comparison. 

“Neither could I,” Donghyuk admitted, trying not to think about how _Jung Jaehyun_ had just teased them. “It was a mess, honestly. But it was very _Mark_ , so I loved it.” He sent Mark a smile and the man looked away, bashful.

“Hey… I’m not _that_ awkward,” Mark defended, blushing. 

Donghyuk knew he’d said the right things when everyone relaxed a little. Their teasing seemed to prove they were a good match or perhaps that they were at least not total strangers. Which was ironic. Donghyuk patted himself on the back, smiling down at the ring on his finger. 

“You are, though. Painfully so,” Jisung muttered, squished up on the couch next to Mark. The family chuckled and then fell into an awfully strained pause.

“I’m sorry for not reaching out guys,” Mark suddenly blurted. “I mean, I feel really bad about it. I just needed to figure myself out, I guess. But! After fu— _messing_ around for a few years, I can safely say I’ve returned to the light. I’m over it, and I want to be part of the family again.” Donghyuk could see the way a muscle in his neck tensed as he said it though, as if the lie was causing him physical pain.

“That’s good to hear,” Johnny said with a genuine smile.

“We were worried about you for a while there, Mark,” Jaehyun added, swirling a glass with some sort of hard alcohol in it. 

“Sorry. I should have just trusted Hal-aboeji’s words all along. Running off like that… it’s gotten me nowhere at all.” The strain of Mark’s voice was nothing less than brutally honest. 

“It got you a fiancé,” Taeyong spoke up for the first time, speaking Korean instead of English. Being a diehard fan, Donghyuk knew Taeyong wasn’t as fluent in speaking English but could understand it perfectly. Donghyuk tried not to get giddy when the man laid his big gorgeous eyes on him, sending Doonghyuk a little, kind smile. He must have been thinking Donghyuk would be hurt after hearing Mark say that. Taeyong was so nice. 

Mark fought back a snort, masking it as a cough. “True. That’s very… true.” 

“Well you’re back now, and that’s what matters, Mark. All is forgiven when it comes to family,” Amanda said, reaching out a hand to pat his knee. Donghyuk got the impression that even though she was trying to speak for everyone, they weren’t all in full agreement. 

“Thanks, Amy,” Mark grunted out anyway. Was he tearing up? Donghyuk resisted smiling at the proof that Mark was a rather soft guy. He rubbed his fiancé's back supportively, and Mark cleared his throat.

Jisung rolled his eyes and shrunk into his hoodie at the mere sight of physical affection.

“God what is this pity party?” 

Donghyuk looked up to see a stunning woman standing in the doorway, hip cocked and judgment written as boldly on her face as her striking makeup. Her aura was completely different from everyone else’s, bitter and pointed. Recklessly confident, even. 

“Aunt Hwasa,” Mark squeaked. 

If Mark was the black sheep of his generation, Hwasa was the same for hers. She was the youngest aunt, unmarried and likely never would be—of her own choice, Donghyuk was assured. Mark told him that even though she could be scary, she ‘ _always has weed on her, so she’s the cool one_ .’ Even after only _just_ meeting her, Donghyuk would gauge that that's pretty accurate. 

“Maaark. Long time no see. You look like your father now that you're all grown up, wow.” She strode in and snatched one of the dried fruits sitting in a bowl on the coffee table, taking a bite as she eyed Donghyuk. “Who's the cutie?” 

Donghyuk pointed at himself and asked, “Me?”

“Yeah, cutie.” The way she said 'cutie' made Donghyuk feel like a kid being talked down to by a teacher.

“My fiancé,” Mark said. It seemed the lie was getting easier for him.

Hwasa paused her chewing for a moment before smiling around the dried fruit piece. “Oh really?” She walked up to Donghyuk and grabbed his chin, turning his face this way and that. Satisfied, she let him go and went back to chewing. Donghyuk rubbed his jaw. “Cute. I approve. Nice to meet you, Mark’s fiancé.”

“Haechan.”

“Mm-hm.” She would not be remembering his name it seemed. God, she was so cool. Donghyuk liked her. She was everything he aspired to be. 

She ruffled Mark’s hair in passing and found an empty spot next to Jaehyun and Taeyong. “Well, let's hear it.” 

They blinked at her. 

“You know? Your love story. Unless, of course, your fiancé is getting married to you ‘cause we’re filthy rich. In which case, _please_ lie to me. I’ll never know the difference, after all.” She put the rest of the fruit in her mouth.

Donghyuk laughed and then had to bite it back when no one else did. Hwasa grinned at him though, eyes gleaming. It was funny because she was right. He _was_ about to lie his ass off. “Well, I definitely didn’t know Mark was rich when we met, that’s for sure… If anything, he’s marrying me for _my_ money.” 

“Oh, is that so?” Hwasa crossed her legs and got comfortable.

“Well, it was _me_ who had to save his sorry ass, a total stranger at the time, and pay for his meal when his card got declined. The story goes…” And then Donghyuk did what he did best: bullshitting. He laid out their entire silly made-up love story at their feet, adding witty comments and finding relief in the chortles of Mark’s family. 

Unfortunately, Mark began to zone out at some point and didn’t add anything or react really at all, which was making their love look awfully one-sided. Donghyuk tried to get his attention by touching his thigh as he talked, which at least got Mark to look at him. He was awfully quiet though. 

“Honey, do you remember the way your legs were shaking when we went to the Space Needle together for that date? But you didn’t want to admit you were scared because you were still trying to impress me?” he asked, trying to get his fiancé engaged. 

Mark just nodded though, and Donghyuk tried not to frown. He was making this really fucking hard. 

“I didn’t know Mark was afraid of heights,” Amanda commented, not suspicious but just genuinely curious.

 _Shit_. 

“I didn’t think so either!” Donghyuk covered up, laughing. “Maybe he was just nervous since he was planning on kissing me for the first time. Was that why, Mark?” He needed Mark to interact and help him out. Their story needed to be airtight, but Donghyuk couldn’t do it all by himself. 

Mark suddenly stood up, completely ignoring him. 

“I’m really sorry, but I don’t feel well. I think I’m going to turn in for the night.” He hung his head a little, not willing to look at anyone.

What the hell was he doing! Donghyuk felt like swearing at him but just twisted his face into one of concern instead. “Is something wrong, honey?” Mark swallowed at the pet name and shook his head, forcing a smile. 

“No, I think the long flight just took a lot out of me.” He at least had the decency to look apologetic as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Hal-aboeji will be looking for you at dinner, though,” Jaehyun said. “He’s been asking about you ever since you said you were coming.”

“Give him my apology then. I’ll make sure to drop by tomorrow,” Mark said, teeth clenched a little. Donghyuk got to his feet as well, determined not to let Mark’s emotions get the better of him.

“I better go as well, then. I’m also pretty tired. Apologies. I’ll make sure to come down for dinner,” Donghyuk said, summoning as much politeness as he could. “It was fabulous to meet you all.”

The family all responded with some soft-spoken agreement. 

Mark left, and Donghyuk had to quickly move to follow.

“Mark should be the one to introduce you to our grandfather, though, so try to bring him,” Johnny said. It felt like more of an order than a suggestion. 

“I’ll do my best,” he replied cheerfully, waving goodbye as they rounded the corner. 

Mark was a few long paces ahead, and Donghyuk had to walk fast to catch up. Afraid of who might hear, he didn’t say anything until they got back to Mark’s room. The sun had set at some point and neither of them bothered turning on the lights, the moon bright enough tonight to cast them in a soft blue hue. As soon as the door closed, he grabbed Mark’s arm.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Donghyuk hissed. 

Mark avoided meeting his gaze. “It’s nothing.”

“Mark. You can’t do that to me. It makes us look super weird!”

“I know, I know.” He sighed. “I just got anxious, okay? I’m not as good at this lying thing the way you are. I don’t know, and… I kept worrying we’d get called to dinner at any minute. My cousins are fine, but my grandfather...” Mark huffed, running his fingers through his hair. The strands looked silver in the moonlight as they fell back over his forehead. 

Donghyuk rolled his eyes. All that because of _nerves_? “You’ll do fine. I can do all the talking, if you want.”

“No, he’ll want to hear from me. He’s still old fashioned. Even if you are a guy, he’ll see you more as the wifely-one, ya know? God that sounds awful—well it is—but, uh, I mean that's just how he thinks, so I should be the one to talk more. The more confident one... I’m just not like that, though.” 

“Wife? Well I am the prettier one, I suppose,” Donghyuk teased. Mark didn’t smile. “Fine, okay, look. It’s only for, what, two nights? We just need to get through that and then we’re home free! _Fake it till you make it_ , Mark. Just throw questions to me if you need to. I think you’ll do fine, though.”

“Really?” Mark looked to him with worried eyes.

“Yes, really. You were really great at the beginning there, after all—I’m serious.” 

Mark nodded a little, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “Sorry. You’re right. I just need to get my shit together.” His little apologetic smile made Donghyuk’s heart flutter. Mark could be kind of cute. 

Mark startled when Donghyuk wrapped him into a hug but didn’t pull away. “Our little Mark, _aigoo_ ,” he cooed in Korean before switching back to English. “So innocent and well-intentioned. Just let me be the bad guy, then, okay?”

“I’m paying you to be the bad guy, though, so I don’t think that works.” Mark chuckled, eventually returning the hug, as awkward as he was about it. He acted like he’d never hugged before, which just made Donghyuk smile even more. 

“Why the hug?” Mark asked, gingerly tucking his chin around Donghyuk’s neck.

“You look like you need one. Plus, I already told you to get used to skinship. I’m like a house plant—I need constant attention or I’ll die. It’s part of the contract.”

“I don’t remember reading that on the contract…”

“Shhh,” Donghyuk put a finger to Mark’s lips. They were soft and warm and Donghyuk tried not to look at them but was probably failing. This close, in the gentle light, Mark was really handsome. Perhaps Donghyuk was thinking about kissing him, okay? He wouldn’t though, because Mark’s eyes were already so wide he was sure they would pop out of his head if he did. Too bad.

Donghyuk should be ‘professional’ anyway.

Mark finally swatted him away and tried to remove him. Donghyuk clung to him like a leech, though. “Mark, I’m tired. Let’s cuddle~” he hummed, partly enjoying making him flustered and partly just wanting to make him feel better.

“You’re acting like we’re best friends, Donghyuk,” Mark chastised, still trying to wiggle out of his grip.

“Oh shit, you’re right… I should be acting like we’re dating!” Donghyuk placed a sloppy kiss to Mark’s neck, just for the hell of it. He could taste the tartness of Mark’s cologne on his tongue.

“Dude!” Mark flailed and finally removed Donghyuk, holding him at a strict arms-length. “Not cool. We’re not _actually_ dating, remember?”

Donghyuk rolled his eyes but couldn’t fight back his grin, especially at how rapidly Mark’s ears were darkening. “I’m not stupid. I know. Calm down. I’m just poking your buttons. Getting some practice in~”

Mark scoffed, but oddly did not look as upset as he sounded. He scrubbed at his neck and made a face, mumbling something. Mark was too easy to tease and easy to read, just so _glaringly_ earnest. 

Donghyuk was starting to understand why lying was so hard for him. 

  
  


~•❧•~

  
  


Mark only now realized how comical his family’s dining room was. It was the stereotypical overly large table with candles and leather bound chairs and everything. Everyone sat just a little too far away from each other, and servants brought food to them, but they couldn’t touch it yet. They all had to wait for his grandfather to arrive. 

Mark had not missed dinners with his family. 

To his left, Donghyuk had just successfully won Laura over. His fiancé handed the little girl a beautiful origami paper dragon he’d made while Mark had been doing homework to pass the time leading up to dinner. It’s wings even flapped and everything. Laura was dazzled.

After she’d run off to show her dad, Mark leaned over. “Worth all that trial and error with the first five tries, then?” he asked Donghyuk, watching how the younger smiled at the little girl eagerly showing Johnny the paper dragon.

“Absolutely. I love kids,” Donghyuk whispered back, not a trace of his normal sass present. 

“Really? I didn’t take you as someone who likes kids.” He’d taken Donghyuk for more of a calculated, wayward soul—so not a patient, kid-loving kind of person. However, Donghyuk was unpredictable, and that only made Mark more curious. 

“Yeah, I have two younger siblings and like a million nieces and nephews. I literally can’t not like them. I’d have killed myself by now otherwise.” 

Mark snorted too loud and Taeyong glanced at him from across the table, startled. 

“Well, I’m not good with kids so…” Mark explained quietly.

“Well you are chronically awkward, so that checks out. However, you’re pretty good with _them_.” Donghyuk jerked his chin at where Eren was trying to snatch the dragon out of Laura’s hands. 

“Not really,” Mark mumbled. 

“Just take the compliment.”

“I—uh, sorry. Thanks.” 

Donghyuk laughed, and Mark wasn’t sure why. He grinned, though, as that pretty smile spread over the younger's face again. He’d noticed how nice Donghyuk’s smile was earlier, when he’d teased Mark and kissed his neck, and now he couldn’t stop looking at it. 

Chairs scraped against the ground and Mark instinctively got to his feet. His heart jumped to his throat and he straightened out his suit. All his nerves came crashing back over him in an instant, and he wished he hadn’t let Donghyuk convince him to come to dinner. He should have run away again—like he did all those years ago. He wasn’t ready to face him. He just wasn’t— 

In the entrance to the living room stood Doyoung, and below him, in his wheelchair, was Mark’s grandfather. When Mark had last seen him, years ago at this point, he’d still sat tall, shoulders squared and heavy brows always pulled down over his sharp eyes. Now… he was hunched over, time rounding him out and seeming to pull him toward the floor, skin sagging like the heavy fabric of his modified hanbok. His hair was a stark grey, like the last slushy snow of winter. 

Mark’s grandfather was dying. 

The guilt and realization of it weighed heavily on his chest.

The old man's pointed eyes slid to him—they had not changed, at least. “Minhyung.”

Everyone turned to Mark. 

“Hal-aboeji.” He fell into a ninety-degree bow, his hair almost dipping into his soup. When he stood straight again, his grandfather just stared at him before waving Doyoung to place him at the head of the table, where he belonged. Mark let out a long breath as he sat back down with everyone.

He wasn’t being told to leave. So he still had a chance… for now.

Under the table a warm hand appeared around his own, squeezing it. Donghyuk didn’t look at him though, giving comfort just for him, not for show. And the touch did calm him a little. Knowing he had someone to fall back on _was_ making it a lot easier.

They started off by eating in silence, everyone unwilling to break it. Had it always been this quiet? No. It hadn’t been. It was because of Mark.

It probably had something to do with the fact that the last thing Mark had said to his grandfather was for him to “fuck off” and stop controlling his life. He was sure the old man hadn’t taken that lightly. 

“Minhyung.”

“Yes, Hal-aboeji?” 

“Are you going to introduce your fiancé to me?” His Korean accent was thicker these days. 

Of course he already knew. Probably from Doyoung, that bastard. 

“This is Lee Haechan. We met in Seattle, but his family is the Solar Power Lees of Korea. I proposed a few months ago,” Mark explained, right to the point. 

“I see. I haven’t heard of them… and you proposed without my blessing,” his grandfather replied, voice terribly bland and untelling. 

“Yes. I… apologize. I’m sorry. I just really love him.” Mark swallowed, the lie feeling like dry cement as it fell out of his mouth. He didn’t sound in love at all. He put a hand on his fiancé's shoulder, trying his best. “And, I want to be more serious about the future. I’m ready to settle down.” _Ready to bow down to you._

Mark felt sick. 

His grandfather was silent for an agonizing second, unreadable. He then gestured a shaky finger at Donghyuk. In Korean he said, “Is this fiancé of yours mute?” 

For Donghyuk’s part, he did a very good job of not looking offended whatsoever. “I was waiting to be addressed, apologies, Mr. Jung. I’m Lee Haechan. It’s an honor to meet you.” 

“Polite,” is all his grandfather said under his breath. Mark let out a shallow sigh, astonished at how well Donghyuk was dealing with the amount of degradation. Even as his grandfather began to grill Donghyuk on what he does, where he went to school, what he wants in the future and so on, the man didn’t so much as quirk his lip down from his polite smile. He really was a good actor.

Finally, his grandfather hummed and that was it. He didn’t ask any more questions. His evaluation was over. No one could tell how he felt about it, though. His grandfather liked to keep everyone on their toes, so Mark had no idea if he approved or not. 

Then it was Mark’s turn again.

“So I hear you’ve returned to university. Have you finally given up on your ridiculous rebellious phase?” 

Mark took just a second too long to respond and got his grandfather's cold eyes on him. “Yes. I regret it all deeply. So I’ve started university again in hopes of actually getting a real job and starting my… real life.”

As Mark answered his questions, trying to layer on the lies and ass-kissing to cover any _disappointing_ aspects of his life, he also grew more disturbingly comfortable in this fake reality he’d created with Haechan. This life he’d built out of lies made Mark not look like a loser. It was nice to imagine. 

That didn’t mean that the words that poured out of his mouth didn’t also spill down onto his ribs and into a swirling pool growing in his gut. He wanted to be this Mark he’d made up, but every lie only pushed that idolized version further away. 

This fake Mark was sculpted just for his grandfather's eyes. 

In the end, though, his grandfather only grunted and turned to Johnny to ask about his business. At least he didn’t scowl or tell Mark he was still a failure… but he also didn’t say anything positive. 

Mark didn’t bother speaking again the whole dinner. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is confused here is the family tree (which honestly looks just as confusing but I'm trying): 
> 
> Hal-aboeji/Grandfather (Jung)
> 
> -First child, Daughter (Surname: Lee)  
> \-->Johnny & Amanda (Both ~29-31)  
> \--->Laura (8)  
> \--->Eren (5)  
> \-->Mark (25) (& Donghyuk (21))
> 
> -Second child, Son (Surname: Jung)  
> \-->Jaehyun (~27) (& Taeyong (~28))  
> \-->Jisung (~19)
> 
> -Third child, Daughter (Surname: Qian)  
> \-->Kun (~29) (& Ten (~29)
> 
> -Fourth child, Hwasa


	4. Chapter 4

The sharp beams of morning light cut Mark’s room into pieces. 

He squinted against the assault as it dawned on him, quite like the sun was now, that he forgot to close the curtains. That was about as far as that thought went, though, because he quickly became aware of the warmth pressed against his side. He blinked his sleep crusted eyes at Donghyuk, who was practically drooling on his pec, arm slung over Mark’s middle and their legs tangled together. 

As startling as it was, he wasn’t necessarily surprised. After all, Donghyuk had already attempted to cuddle when he’s first laid down to sleep last night. He’d grumbled something about being cold and how Mark’s bare chest looked so inviting! Mark had of course refused, since the bed was more than big enough for both of them to sleep comfortably. Even though Donghyuk had relented at the time, it seemed he’d gotten his way while Mark had slept. 

He felt embarrassed for Donghyuk somehow, perhaps for the man's complete and utter shamelessness. Were they not mere acquaintances? Yet here Donghyuk was, nearly laying on top of him in his sleep, as comfortable as a cat on a warm rock. Donghyuk was so cocky and direct, yet somehow it was working. Mark knew he was being pried open like a clam, and Donghyuk wasn’t stopping until he had Mark’s shiny pearl clutched in his perfectly manicured claws. 

Mark smiled at that comparison, since at the moment the man looked so incredibly complacent. The way his mouth hung open slightly, cheek squished against the plane of Mark’s chest, was… intimate. 

It felt wrong to be able to look at Donghyuk like this, as if it was something he wasn’t meant to see. Maybe he should wake him up? Donghyuk beat him to it, though. A tiny groan escaped him as he blinked his eyes open, gripping Mark around the middle a little tighter as he came to. When he saw Mark was awake, he smiled with his eyes squinted, smacking his lips. 

“Your heart was beating so loud it woke me up. Mmm, you're so warm,” he mumbled, going to lay his head back on Mark.

Mark pushed him away though, pulling a face. “I told you to stay on your side of the bed.”

“I can’t sleep without cuddling someone!” Donghyuk whined, clinging to him. 

“Dude, don’t you—argh—have a concept of personal space?” Mark squirmed to try to free himself from the younger’s grip, his arms like ropes around Mark’s waist. 

Donghyuk made some needy sounds in his throat that had heat rising in Mark’s face. “You were sleeping fine before! You even put your arm around me in your sleep. Maaaark~”

Finally, Mark got his leg between them and was able to push the man away, foot in his stomach. Donghyuk grunted but just rolled to his other side with a pout. An overdramatic wail followed Mark as he got off the bed.

“My own fiancé! I can’t believe it. Do you even love me?”

Mark sucked in a deep breath, biting down on his lip to keep from smiling. He wasn’t going to give Donghyuk the satisfaction of knowing he was funny. He really needed to stop letting the man he hired push him around. There was just something wrong with that. 

Mark knew very well he’d probably let Donghyuk keep doing it, though. 

Once Donghyuk was done wallowing in his own self-pity, they were able to get ready and head to breakfast. The whole manor was bathed in warm morning light as they walked through it, hands interlocked—a habit Donghyuk had already gotten him into. Mark didn't mind. It probably sold the whole bit better. Plus, Donghyuk’s hands were the perfect size for Mark to lace their fingers together comfortably. Holding his hand all day wasn’t hard.

Mark felt in a much better mood today, enjoying the fluffy sourdough made by the manor’s in-house baker. It was just him and Donghyuk eating, so he was able to relax, taking his time to sip his coffee. 

Last night's dinner had really shaken him. His grandfather was unreadable and so the whole conversation hadn’t exactly gotten his hopes up. If anything, it just reaffirmed Mark’s fears. He really needed to get into this will and it wasn’t looking good for him. All he needed was an ounce of approval from the old man's wrinkled heart to put him at ease, but Mark couldn’t even get that. 

His grandfather hadn’t been so cold before—Mark was sure he had only himself to blame for that though. Maybe if he got on his knees and begged for forgiveness the old man would take pity… but Mark would never do that. He was already a bad actor and, honestly, he wasn’t sorry enough.

They’d just have to see how the day played out.

Mark sighed into his coffee, watching the tendrils of steam swerve out of the way of his breath only to slowly drift back to each other. Mark decided he wasn’t hungry anymore and, as soon as Donghyuk finished scarfing down his third scone, they moved on.

It was on their way back from breakfast, passing by the entrance hall, that they stumbled into Kun’s greeting party. Kun exuded  _ Beijing-rich _ with his sunglasses and clean-cut fashion. He had finally arrived, late because of a malfunction in his private jet.

Mark would say he was relatively close with his cousins, or he used to be, but Kun was the one cousin he didn’t know well. Mostly because Kun lived full time in China. But even though he didn’t really talk to Kun, he  _ always  _ heard about him. 

Kun was the perfect cousin, the favorite. Their grandfather was even there to greet him.

Kun was related to Mark through his mother, Mark’s aunt, who’d married a man that became one of the richest in Beijing. Kun was already a sitting member of his father’s holding company and groomed to be the heir. He was also married to a supermodel, but Mark had never met the woman. He  _ had  _ met Ten, though—Kun’s secretary, who followed the man everywhere and stood next to him now, iPad clutched under his arm and white teeth shining as he giggled at something Kun said. 

Ten and Kun were secret lovers. Mark had found out when Johnny told him how he’d walked in on them last christmas, bent over an antique desk in the library. Mark was more surprised he hadn’t seen it sooner. The two were practically undressing each other with their eyes at every opportunity, biting on the eraser ends of pencils and smiling coyly. 

At this point everyone knew. Yet, it was still one of those things no one talked about—as if affairs, gay ones nonetheless, were anything new to their crowd. Hell, Hal-aboeji had married his mistress and made her his third wife. 

Mark was sure his grandfather knew about Kun and Ten, as well, but the old man didn’t seem at all bothered by Ten. He only had eyes for Kun, the crème de la crème of his grandchildren. Bursting with so much earning potential that it canceled out anything negative.

A status that Mark knew Johnny was chronically jealous of, him being the only other true contender for  _ perfect grandchild _ . Like two sides of one coin, both Kun and Johnny were businessmen with good money and promising futures, yet unfortunately he’d always been a few steps behind Kun. Especially now that his business might be going under while Kun was soon to be one of the most influential businessmen in China.

As rich and handsome and nice and charming as Kun was, personally, Mark still wouldn’t want his life. It was part of what convinced him he wasn’t built for the lifestyle his grandfather had envisioned. He’d never met someone as stressed as Kun before—pacing, always on the phone with someone at the company, and certainly addicted to some sort of pricey hard drug. Mark didn’t think a totally sober man could multitask like that. To Mark, Kun did not look happy.

But their grandfather adored him, and that’s all that mattered. 

Luckily they made it past the welcoming committee after only having to exchange a few polite words. Kun was not interested in Mark either, so small talk was enough for the both of them. Donghyuk, on the other hand, seemed more eager to chat with the mysterious, wealthy men. When Mark reminded him they had somewhere to be, the man relented, promising to get to know the two later. 

“So where are we going? I don’t think you ever told me, actually,” Donghyuk whispered as the lively chatter became just an echo down the long hall.

“Well, Jaehyun actually invited us to go on a ride with him and Taeyong. That’s why I asked you to bring your jacket.” 

Mark could see the way Donghyuk’s eyes lit up. 

“Why do they want us to join them? They’re  _ celebrities _ . Also, you failed to tell me who exactly your cousin Jaehyun was, so you should thank me for holding it together and not freaking out when I saw him and Taeyong yesterday.”

“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, sorry…”

“Mark, sweet, sweet Mark. I know people who would literally commit mass murder just to talk to Jaehyun and Taeyong like that.”

Mark snickered. “Message received. I’ll try to give more warning, I guess.” 

He led them out a small back door and into the winter morning. It had snowed while they were asleep and a soft new blanket lay over the vast lawn. The quiet had an added weight in the blinding white. 

Donghyuk swore under his breath and quickly pulled on his thick winter jacket as the cold air enveloped them. 

“Apparently this was Taeyong’s idea. He wanted to invite us because he was worried you feel like an outsider or something.”

“Really? I can’t believe Lee-fucking-Taeyong is worried about  _ me _ !” Donghyuk squealed, his breath making little clouds in the air. “He’s so sweet… God, I want to suck his dick.”

Mark stumbled. “W-what?”

“I mean, it wouldn’t mess up our plans  _ too much _ if I tried to seduce him and Jaehyun into a threesome, would it? They seem like the type of couple that would agree,” Donghyuk said, thoughtfully. “Imagine...”

“No! Donghyuk, no. Absolutely not. You’re not allowed to fuck any of my cousins, are you insane?” 

“Maybe I am! I mean, Mark, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“Dude.” He grabbed Donghyuk and spun him to face him, trying to get serious, only to notice the massive grin on his face. “You’re joking?”

“I mean partly…” Donghyuk looked away coyly and then laughed when Mark’s face fell again. He shoved Mark’s shoulder, still snickering as he continued on their way down the snowy driveway. “I’m just teasing. I’ll wait until  _ after _ our contract to fuck your hot cousin and his sexy boyfri—”

Donghyuk stumbled forward, words cut short and a thick lump of snow now stuck to the back of his head from the snowball Mark had just hurled at him. He turned around to gape at him, but it was Mark’s turn to laugh. The sound bubbled out of him before he could stop it as Donghyuk brought a hand to the back of his snow-covered head, face pulled in faux astonishment. 

“Oh, you’re asking for it now!” Donghyuk sounded angry, but he was smiling. He leaned down and collected an excessive amount of snow between his gloved hands.

Mark tried to run away, but his shoes slipped on the icy gravel. While he was trying not to fall on his face, Donghyuk grabbed him by his jacket and shoveled snow directly down the front of his shirt. It was shockingly cold on his unprepared nipples. He gasped and danced around, opening his jacket and flapping his shirt. 

Mark’s face was hot, glancing at Donghyuk as the younger bent over laughing. With hair falling over his eyes and cheeks a rosy red from the cold, Donghyuk really was mesmerizing when he was happy. 

Mark got caught staring by the man. He wanted to look away, embarrassed, but Donghyuk’s brown eyes were like venus fly traps and Mark the buzzing fly who’d fallen into them.

The man’s eyes traveled down Mark, from tip to toe, and right back up to meet his gaze without an ounce of shame. It made the hair on the back of Mark’s neck stand on end. Donghyuk arched an eyebrow, lips pulled up and a single puff of a laugh escaping him. 

“What's with the look?” Donghyuk took a step toward him, words spread creamy smooth. “Mark, you can just ask if you want to kiss.”

Mark felt his heart thump, words choked off at the sheer shock. He opened his mouth to deny it but— 

“Hey loverboys!” 

Mark swore loudly before finally shaking out his shirt and zipping his jacket back up. Donghyuk didn’t move away, but his eyes did—freeing a blushing Mark from his clutches. Mark let out a breath, relieved whatever  _ that _ was was over. 

Down the driveway came Jaehyun, astride a black horse with white sock-like coloring on its legs. It’s hooves were loud on the icy ground and Jaehyun towered over them like a valiant statue—currently Mark’s knight in shining armor.

“I was wondering what was taking so long. Just a lovers’ spat then?” Jaehyun was teasing them, and it made Mark’s ears grow even warmer. They hadn’t even been acting like lovers. Had it really looked that way? 

“Sorry,” Mark chirped out. 

“Don’t worry,” Jaehyun said, beaming down at them. “I could hear you laughing out here, so I thought I’d check it out. Mr. Boots needs to warm up anyway.” He patted the horse's neck, the massive stallion flaring its nostrils at them. Mr. Boots had always been a scary horse with a cute name.

Jaehyun led them back to the barn from there, and Donghyuk took the chance to lean over to whisper to Mark. It seemed whatever had possessed him had been exorcised, voice back to its normal prodding tone.

“When you said we were going riding, I thought you meant  _ cars. _ ”

“What? No, we have horses.”

“Well, I see that  _ now _ . I would have been a million times more excited if you told me it was horses we were riding! I was just telling you to warn me about these things as well.” Donghyuk clicked his tongue.

“So, Haechan,” Jaehyun suddenly called, looking down at him with a curious quirk of his eyebrow. “Do you have any experience riding?”

“You could say I have experience… but I’ve only really ridden Western style. I know how English riding works, though, so as long as I get a quick summary, I should be fine,” Donghyuk replied easily, spoken like a true horse lover. 

Mark blinked at him, trying not to look as surprised as he felt. Where in god's name had Donghyuk learned to ride horses? He was a professional SO-for-hire so maybe it was just a necessary skill, Mark reasoned. But why Western? English riding was easily the more ‘posh’ one. 

Mark wasn’t sure, but he was mystified by how confident Donghyuk was as he swung himself right onto his horse's back. They’d decided Donghyuk would get Daisy, the youngest but most well-mannered horse—a brown spotted appaloosa. She was very kind and Donghyuk cooed at her affectionately.

Mark had to settle for Jack, a handsome tan buck-skin, who got his name since he was kind of a jackass. Mark remembered all the horses still, and he swore Jack always had it out for him, but he didn’t want to make anyone else trade. They only had the four at the estate at the moment, so he’d have to deal. Maybe old age had calmed him. 

They set off after Donghyuk was given a run-down on English riding. The horses knew the path well, so there was little they had to do as the animals carried them across the field and toward the tree line. 

“I’ve never held one of these little whips before,” Donghyuk said, examining the crop. “For a while, I thought they were only for BDSM.”

“Dong—Haechan!” Mark cursed himself for the slip-up, but Donghyuk really couldn’t just say stuff like that!

To his relief, Taeyong and Jaehyun just laughed. Mark took a deep breath, letting the cool air seep through him. The two celebrities were, funny enough, some of the more easy-going people in Mark's family, so perhaps jokes like that would be fine with them. It just made Mark nervous. He didn’t want his fake fiancé to reflect badly on him.

“Either way, they’re for whipping ass aren’t they?” Taeyong shot back in Korean, grinning from ear to ear. He and Donghyuk snickered together. 

Mark rolled his eyes. This was going to be a long ride.

They were planning on circling the entire property on the old roads that had likely been there since before the Declaration of Independence was drafted. It would take them through the old cherry orchard and up to the highest point on the property, where they’d be able to see the entire coastline. It had sounded peaceful when Jaehyun had proposed it to him, a nice escape from the manor, but he wasn’t sure he could handle the stress of his fake fiancé making sex jokes with his cousin’s boyfriend. 

“How are you liking Black Cherry Estate?” Taeyong asked over his shoulder, his and Jaehyun’s horses naturally taking the lead as they entered the narrower tree-lined path.

“I’ve never been to an estate so beautiful before. I honestly feel like a prince,” Donghyuk said, replying in Korean. Donghyuk’s voice was just a hair deeper when he spoke in his native language.

“Well you quite look like one right now, wouldn’t you say, Mark?” Taeyong prodded.

Mark hesitantly turned his eyes to Donghyuk. His chocolate brown hair looked impossibly soft as it bounced with each trot, smooth skin and bright complexion shining against the black and white winter forest backdrop. He sat straight and proper, reins held comfortably in his loose grasp. He could be a painting. 

“I suppose.” 

“Wow, so romantic,” Donghyuk teased, rolling his eyes. 

“Mark’s never been good with words,” Jaehyun added. “When we were younger, he used to try writing these awful poems to actors he liked. I keep telling him I could deliver them personally now, but he keeps refusing.”

“I was twelve...” Mark huffed, looking out over the dense whiteness of the forest.

“It’s his clumsiness with words that makes him cute though.” Donghyuk snickered and Mark couldn’t tell if he was acting or not. 

“Very true. Mark can be quite adorable,” Taeyong said. 

“My poetry has improved quite a bit, actually." He was literally one of the songwriters for their group. "Also I'm twenty-five, guys,” Mark defended weakly. 

Jaehyun scoffed. “You should tell Johnny that. He still talks about you like you're a kid. Sometimes I forget.” Of course Johnny would. He was the older brother. The established one with his own family. Mark probably did seem young and naive compared to him. He’d done almost nothing in the same time that Johnny had built a family and made a name for himself. 

The tan fur of his horse was rough under his hand as he pet the animal, not able to think of a response now that he’d let the conversation hang in the air too long. Mark was being a bummer and he knew it. Being back was just getting to him. It was as if every breath cost him money out of his wallet and every step was weighed down by cement blocks. Nothing was easy, and nothing was free at Black Cherry Estate. 

“Mark is quite mature these days though,” Donghyuk said. “For the time I’ve known him, he’s been very level-headed and calm. Just a kind and honest guy. I’ve never dated anyone like him before, so it’s really nice.” 

Mark felt uneasy with the way Donghyuk looked at him, eyes so round and smile so soft. It felt like it had to be fake, but he wasn’t sure. Did Donghyuk actually think of him that way? Mark just couldn’t tell who was speaking, Donghyuk or Haechan. 

Mark made a face and looked away. 

Jaehyun laughed. “I’ve never seen anyone make Mark blush that quickly. I guess you guys are the real deal.”

“Yeah, of course we are. Only an idiot in love like me would think to marry Mark,” Donghyuk chirped happily.

“Hey!” Mark went to shove his fiancé but Donghyuk steered his horse so he was just out of reach, sticking his tongue out at Mark.

“Catch me and maybe I’ll take it back.” Donghyuk smacked the horse with the crop and just like that, he was off. 

Propped up in the stirrups like a natural, he galloped ahead of Taeyong and Jaehyun, leaving Mark in the dust. Well aware he was being coaxed, Mark sat up in the saddle and followed after Donghyuk, easing his own horse into a gallop. Jack complained but had no trouble gaining speed, and soon Mark was able to pass his laughing cousins as well. 

He hadn’t ridden a horse in a long time, and he was a little rusty when it came to adjusting to Jack’s rolling gallop, but when he settled in it felt  _ amazing _ . Jack was old, but he was still a trained and purebred horse, a true beast in the hands of someone who knew how to handle him. The cold whipped past his face and grabbed at his jacket, the solid horse beneath him cutting through the air like a ship through water as his hooves beat the ground into submission. If he went fast enough maybe they’d start flying.

Donghyuk looked over his shoulder as Mark came up on his flank, eyes wide and smile even wider. He yelled something, but it flew by Mark before he could catch it. Mark laughed anyway, because Donghyuk was beaming at him. 

“Come get me!” Donghyuk yelled, pushing Daisy into a full sprint. Mark caught that, as well as the chunks of snow that got kicked up into his face. 

“Come on Jack, you can do it. Don’t let that young mare beat you,” he told the horse, squeezing him around the middle a bit to try to get him to speed up. Jack wasted no time in kicking it to high gear, head down and the wind whistling in Mark's ears.

Ahead of him, Donghyuk reached the end of the trees and broke out into a field. Mark followed, and knowing the trail by heart, quickly pulled Jack off the path and into the untamed field to try to cut Donghyuk off. The tall grass slapped his feet. He pressed himself closer to Jack to try to reduce drag, every stride bringing them closer.

He cheered when he finally passed Donghyuk, bursting out of the grass and back onto the path a few paces ahead of him. His heart beat loudly in his ears, and his whole body tingled with adrenaline.

Donghyuk made a face behind him, and they both slowed down, falling into a trot beside each other. “Fine, you win—not fairly though! I don’t know the land,” Donghyuk conceded, pouting and petting his horse. “You did well though, girl.” 

Jack flicked Mark with his tail. He swore the horse was giving him the stink eye. He patted the stallion's side to try to sooth him, knowing he really just wanted a treat for running so well. 

“We should wait for the others,” Mark said, pulling on the reins and bringing them both to a stop in the field. Here the white of snow and soft tan of dead grass sat in still limbo, long strands frozen in place and weighed down by clumps of snow. It was nice, almost quiet if not for the overlapping drags of their labored breathing. Clouds of mist forming around them as the hot air they blew out crystallized right before their eyes. 

Then, all at once but slowly, through the haze of their breaths, came thick flakes of snow. 

Mark put out a hand, a delicate snowflake landing on his palm only to go limp and melt just as quick. He closed his fingers and watched the snow fall instead. It was like a curtain, shrinking their world down as the flakes began to obstruct their view. This was the first snow he’d seen all year.

“It doesn’t snow like this in Seattle.” 

Donghyuk leaned back and opened his mouth, trying to catch some in his mouth as he talked. “It snowed like this in Korea all the time. It’s been a while since I’ve been in the snow, though.”

Mark turned to Donghyuk. “So you used to live in Korea?” 

“Mm.” Maybe he was distracted trying to eat snow flakes or just didn’t think it was too personal, but Donghyuk finally volunteered some of his past. “I lived there most of my life. But, I came to live in Oregon with my mom for high school when my parents got divorced. I go back to see my dad when I can, usually in the summer, though.”

“Do you miss it?” Mark wasn’t looking at the snow anymore, too distracted by the flakes caught in Donghyuk’s eyelashes.

Donghyuk shrugged, finally closing his mouth, giving up on his quest to catch anything. “Sometimes. All my friends are here though, so every year I miss it less.” The slight pull on his brows gave him an uncharacteristic raw and serious look, despite his nonchalant attitude. 

“I understand.”

Donghyuk lifted a brow and smiled. “I suppose you would, wouldn’t you?”

Snow was gathering in Donghyuk's hair and Mark felt like he had something to say to the younger, something tickling his throat. But whatever it was never made it out. 

Donghyuk looked over his shoulder. “Oh look, they’re here.”

Sure enough, out of the tree line came Jaehyun and Taeyong, looking picturesque with one on a black horse and the other on a white. They could be walking straight out of a drama. 

“Are you going to kiss me or not?” 

Mark startled, making Jack huff and scrape a hoof on the ground. He patted the horse in apology, but just gaped at Donghyuk. “Suddenly?”

“Were you even listening?”

“What? When did I agree to that?”

“When we were racing! I said I’ll owe you a kiss if you catch me. I assumed that was why you were working so hard.” Donghyuk pulled his horse closer to Mark’s, their legs brushing between the sides of the animals.

“No—I…” A squeak left Mark as he tried to piece together a response. “Why though?” 

“We’re engaged Mark, keep up.”

“Yeah but… did they even hear you? Why should we kiss?” 

Donghyuk rolled his eyes. Mark was starting to think Jisung had a rival for sassy eye rolls. “Jaehyun made a comment earlier about how we  _ ‘must be the real deal’ _ . That might mean he was thinking we could be faking it—or at least something similar. We have to sell it better! We’ve barely held hands, much less kissed. How is it that we’re two young horny guys in love and we’ve barely touched each other? So I think we should kiss. It’s not a big deal, Mark, just kiss me like you mean it.” He said all this in a rush, the two other men growing closer.

“But...”

Donghyuk let out an exasperated sigh, looking away. “Fine! If you really can't even  _ stand _ the idea of kissing me, then forget—”

His words transformed into a low hum when Mark’s lips slotted with his. Mark’s heart was racing, but he just went for it.

Donghyuk’s lips were dry from the cold air, but they were plush and warm. Mark’s eyes fluttered shut. Quick to kiss back, Dongyuk’s lips glided over Mark’s as if he already knew the shape of Mark’s desires. Donghyuk took over and Mark let him, goosebumps breaking out over his skin as the man’s teeth dragged briefly over his bottom lip. 

His hair was soft and the snow stuck in it cold when Mark pushed his fingers into it and cupped his jaw to draw him closer.

Donghyuk’s tongue ran over his lips, prodding. Mark opened his mouth just enough to feel the drag of their tongues together, still able to taste the fruity tea Donghyuk had had with breakfast. 

A giggle from behind them was what had Mark finally pulling away, though fairly reluctantly. They breathed into the space between them for just a moment before Mark turned away to sit back upright on his horse, body warm all over. He tried not to look as flustered as he felt, praying the frost-bitten red of his cheeks would mask the blush creeping up his face.

Okay, wow. 

“Don’t let us interrupt.” The grin on Taeyong’s face was telling as he passed them. Donghyuk gave Mark another one of those looks, eyes slowly dragging up and down, before he quirked a teasing eyebrow and trotted off.

Mark spent the rest of the ride thinking about it. 


	5. Chapter 5

“Where’d you learn to ride like that?” Mark prodded, unzipping his jacket now that they were back in the warmth of the house. 

“My daddy’s estate, darling.”

Mark snorted. “No, for real.” They were alone as they walked back to Mark’s room, so he felt fine asking.

Donghyuk pursed his lips, giving Mark a little side-eye. “Why are you so curious about my life?”

Mark paused, having to take a moment to come up with an answer. Eventually, he shrugged and just told the truth. “I don’t know. I guess you’re just intriguing.” Donghyuk grinned at that and despite his earlier, obvious hesitation, he relinquished the information to Mark. 

“I’ve been riding horses since I was twelve, herding sheep.” 

“Oh. Did you live on a farm or something?”

Donghyuk sighed, acting as if Mark was really twisting his arm or something. “My mom and aunt bought a ranch when we immigrated to the US. My mom never wanted to rely on anyone ever again, so she decided to become self-sustaining. We grew enough to eat and raised sheep for money. It was my job to herd the sheep every day. Happy?”

“Mm-hm, very.” Mark grabbed his hand, swinging their locked fingers together. He couldn’t imagine Donghyuk as a farm boy at all. He seemed to fit so perfectly into Mark’s life after all. He supposed there was some sort of passionate resilience about the man that could only come from having to work to live.

“My turn to ask a question then,” Donghyuk decided.

“Ask away.” Mark didn't see any harm in it.

“What’s the name of your band?” 

Mark stopped swinging their hands. “How do you know about that? I didn’t tell you.”

“Sweet Mark, do you think I don’t do background checks of my own? All it took was a single scroll through your Instagram and Twitter to find out  _ exactly  _ what type of person you are.” Donghyuk seemed to be having fun, but Mark could only blink at him. 

“But… Why did you accept the job then? I mean you must know I’m...”

“Poor? Yeah.”

“Then why?”

It was Donghyuk’s turn to take his time answering, absentmindedly stroking a thumb up and down the back of Mark’s hand. “It was clear from the first moment that you are painfully honest, so I know you’ll pay me no matter what. You’re very...  _ kind _ , so I thought, why not? Plus the bonus pay wasn’t bad, so…”

“It was those two zeros then, huh?”

“Oh yeah, one hundred precent.”

Mark scoffed but found himself oddly happy. He should be outraged that Donghyuk had snooped into his life, yet he couldn’t find it in him. Maybe it was just the fact he’d been trying to act around Donghyuk as well, but knowing that he’d known Mark was dirt poor the whole time and  _ didn’t care _ was… nice. It felt good, even if it shouldn’t. 

“You never answered the question.”

“What?”

“The name of your band.”

“Oh, well, I assumed if you snooped you must have already known.”

“I do. I just want you to explain why you’d name a rock band  _ Chewing Gum _ . You fucked the branding up from the start, just saying.”

Mark laughed. “It wasn’t my idea. It was some fucking joke and then it just  _ stuck _ , I guess.”

“Stuck like chewing gum?”

“Yeah, like chewing gum.” 

Mark felt a thrilling tingling under his skin as they looked at each other, smiling and walking hand in hand. Even with his damp hair and flushed cheeks, Donghyuk was unmistakably charming and beautiful. Having someone like that stare at him like  _ that _ —happiness dancing in crescented eyes—felt so painfully  _ domestic...  _ and Mark  _ loved _ it. 

It was all fake, so he shouldn’t, but he did. 

He loved it, even more, when Donghyuk leaned up and kissed him, just a tiny peck. He was frozen for the millisecond it took, heat rushing over his skin, and only able to blink uselessly afterward. His lips tingled.

He stuttered a little. “W-what was _ that _ for?” There wasn't even anyone around...

“For being a good boy on our ride earlier and playing along. You were very convincing, so you get a reward.”

Mark scoffed, blinking long and slow to emphasize his bafflement.

“Are you trying to train me like a dog?”

“Maybe I am—what are you going to do about it?”

Mark pushed open his bedroom door, mind a little fuzzy around the edges. His silence seemed to answer the man's question— _ absolutely nothing _ . 

Donghyuk leaned over and tickled under his chin, his smirk absolutely diabolical. “My sweet puppy Mark,” he said in a sing-song. 

Mark, coming back to himself, pushed Donghyuk’s hand away. He couldn’t help the blush though. “Dude, knock it off,” he grumbled.

“Says the one still holding my hand.”

Mark let go and just huffed, brushing the same hand through his hair. “I’m going to take a shower, don’t… get into trouble I guess.”

“I can’t make any promises!” Donghyuk said as he threw himself down on the bed, going right to his phone. “Hurry up though so I can shower. I said I’d play COD with Jisung,”

Mark stopped in the doorway to the bathroom, baffled. “I didn’t even see you talk to him. How did you get friendly already?” 

“It’s called being cool and young, sorry you’ve never heard of it.”

“I—hey…”

Donghyuk’s lips pulled up at Mark’s grumbling, tapping out a message at lightning speed. “Jisung is only a few years younger than me. All I had to do was ask him what video games he liked at dinner last night. We talked for, like, a while, did you not notice?” 

“Oh… No, I didn’t I guess.” He didn’t remember much of dinner last night at all, honestly. 

Donghyuk glanced at him, fingers stilling. Mark’s arms broke out in goosebumps under the man's eyes. He’d never felt so easy to read before, but now he was spread wide like a book for Donghyuk to flip through at his leisure. 

Donghyuk looked back to his phone after an agonizing second, kicking his legs where they hung over the bed. “Mm, well Jisung is chill. I’m going to annoy him so much!”

Mark snorted. “That’s what you look forward to when making friends?”

“Yup~” Donghyuk hummed, lost in his phone.

Mark lingered just a second longer in the doorway, still stuck on the peck Donghyuk had given him. He wanted to ask why he’d done it, but he’d already given an answer... Then why did Mark still feel unsatisfied? 

Mark was losing his mind, he really was, because why else would he be wanting  _ more _ . He ducked inside before he could start blushing again. 

  
  


~•❧•~

  
  


Donghyuk sighed after looking at the time on his phone for the fifth time without any of the numbers changing. He would just go to Jisung’s room right now, but he desperately needed a shower after riding around the estate on horseback for hours. It would be plain disgusting for him to be near anyone right now, much less these posh country club folk. He was trying to show Mark’s grandpa and family that he was just as posh and friendly as them, not that he was some commoner. Which was exactly what Donghyuk really was...

Okay, fine, maybe Donghyuk just needed to play a dumb first-person shooter to get his mind off it all. It’s not like he’d lost confidence or something, but Mark’s grandfather was seriously scary and everyone was so… fake. It was starting to weigh on him how much harder he’d have to work. They only had tonight, the big New Years' ball, to really kiss up to the old man, after all. 

Rolling over on the bed, Donghyuk glared holes in the bathroom door. Mark’s humming was barely audible under the pelting of the shower water. Donghyuk had spent the last few minutes trying to figure out what song it could be, but he was coming up empty. Whatever song it was, though, was way too long, and Mark had been in there forever! Or maybe Donghyuk just felt like he had been. Nonetheless, they were kind of on a time crunch, so he decided it was long enough.

Steam rushed out around him as he swung open the bathroom door. Mark’s singing choked off. 

The shower was large and glass—because of course it was—so Donghyuk could see right into it and he didn’t shy away from doing exactly that. Mark moved quickly to cover himself, but that didn’t stop Donghyuk from drinking the rest of him in. 

Finally, he spotted Mark’s elusive tattoo, the branch of some flowering tree blooming over his upper thigh and hip. It was not what he’d been expecting, but it was weirdly fitting for a man like Mark.

Unlike the tattoo, he’d seen Mark’s bare chest already, last night, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t any less of a sight now; muscles glistening with water and ridged with shock. Mark had a good body—not too defined but  _ nice _ . 

Damn, he really was Donghyuk’s type to a T. How annoying.

“Donghyuk!”

“What? I’m just gonna jump in,” Donghyuk explained, already tugging his shirt over his head and throwing it onto the pile of Mark’s clothes. Mark squeaked and shielded his eyes as Donghyuk dropped his pants. 

“There're other bathrooms!” Mark cried.

“Well I’m already naked,” Donghyuk countered, grinning as Mark’s ears blazed an alarming red. He yanked open the shower and stepped right into the water. 

“Dude, seriously, what the fuck.”

Donghyuk rolled his eyes, wetting his hair while Mark cowered in the corner. “Come on, we’re both dudes. Haven’t you ever showered with your bros? You’re the one making it weird...” He supposed that was rather unfair since they were both  _ gay _ dudes, but whatever, Donghyuk was going to get his way whether he could justify it or not. After all, he really did come in here with pure intentions. So Mark  _ was _ the one making it weird. 

Donghyuk pursed his lips, and kicked Mark in the calf. 

“Hey!” Mark finally opened his eyes, only to make a strangled noise when he accidentally looked right at Donghyuk’s butt. That made Donghyuk smile. He hoped Mark saw it; he had a good butt after all. 

“Hand me the shampoo.”

Mark groaned, seeming to come to terms with the fact this was happening. 

He took too long though, so Donghyuk leaned over him to reach for the shampoo himself. Mark tensed up when Donghyuk put a hand on his hip, guiding him out of the way and snatching the shampoo. “Thanks,” he said sarcastically as he shook the bottle, making sure to squeeze Mark's hip before letting it go. 

Mark was so easy to fluster that it was getting hard for Donghyuk to stick to his ‘pure intentions’.

Mark only seemed to relax once Donghyuk seemingly left him alone. As he kneaded the shampoo into his scalp, Donghyuk wondered what the man thought he was going to do to him. Maybe being in such a small space, naked with him, made Mark nervous. Donghyuk smiled.

“Sorry, I just, uh, I don’t… I’ve actually never taken a shower with someone before. Except for, well—that was different though.” Mark slowly unfurled as he explained this, ears still burning as he scratched the back of his neck.

“I’m assuming you mean the last time you took a shower with someone you ended up doing  _ something else  _ with, right?” Mark sputtered a little, which was enough to confirm to Donghyuk that he was right on the money. “Is being alone with me like this going to be  _ too much _ for you, Mr. Lee?” He let the title roll off his tongue like smoke, relishing in how Mark averted his eyes when Donghyuk shook his butt playfully.

“No—I…”

“Mm-hm. Scrub my back?” Donghyuk asked, changing the subject so he didn’t have to watch Mark flounder to try to deny his dirty thoughts. They were young, horny guys. There was no way Mark  _ wasn’t _ thinking about it. Mark mutely accepted the loofa with a shy little nod, doing as Donghyuk asked. 

It was Donghyuk’s turn to blush when Mark grabbed his shoulder to get a better angle, fingers strong and guiding. He wouldn't mind if Mark wanted to manhandle him more, honestly. They were fake dating, so having some fun shouldn’t be off the table, right? 

The water pelted them both in the pregnant silence. 

“It’s fine if you're attracted to me, you know. I’m very attractive after all,” Donghyuk said matter-of-factly. 

Mark snorted at that, but seemed to have gotten his cool together again. That was too bad. 

“So you don’t deny it then?” Donghyuk twisted to look at him. Mark’s wet hair was plastered to his forehead, eyes wide and lashes busy blinking away droplets. Mark looked away quickly, loofa going back to scrubbing.

“I mean, you _ are _ attractive, so...” he mumbled, shy.

Donghyuk was a little taken aback, having to turn his head back so Mark didn’t see the way he bit his lower lip. Warmth bloomed in his chest at the admission. It’s not like he didn’t know Mark found him hot to some extent—with all those lingering looks it was obvious—but it was still nice to hear. 

“Here.” The loofa appeared next to Donghyuk’s face, held at arm's length as if Mark was too scared to get closer.

Donghyuk grabbed it and spun around. “My turn!” Mark flushed and tried to hide himself again. Donghyuk cocked a hip and laid a look on the man. “You don’t have to keep hiding your dick like I’m going to bite it.”

Mark closed his eyes at that comment, eyebrow twitching as if he was holding back some sort of scolding. He did uncup himself though, and Donghyuk, deciding to be a good boy for once, didn’t look at it—for Mark’s sake. He definitely wanted to though. He was curious, okay?

However, Mark was hot, rich, and nice, so there probably wasn’t any possibility he  _ also _ had a nice dick. The statistics weren’t on his side, after all. A man just couldn’t have all four. 

Donghyuk would just ask nicely to see it later, he decided. 

Mark, though reluctantly, turned his back to Donghyuk for him to wash. Donghyuk couldn’t help himself when he caught sight of Mark’s round butt. The man yelped when Donghyuk smacked him on said butt, turning a sharp glare his way. 

Donghyuk cackled, putting his hands up. “Sorry. I just couldn’t help myself, officer!”

“And you implied  _ I'm _ the one who can’t handle myself.” Mark rubbed the assaulted cheek with a sour pout on his lips. 

Donghyuk just grinned, going to squirt more soap onto the loofa. “How can I when you’re out here calling me sexy?”

“I said _ attractive _ . Don’t get carried away, Donghyuk.”

“Attractive, sexy, same difference. It all means the same thing when we’re naked, doesn’t it?”

After a moment, Mark replied, “I’m not even going to try to follow your logic.”

“This is why our marriage is falling apart, Mark.” 

Mark laughed, shoulders shaking under Donghyuk as he ran the loofa over the wide planes of his back. 

“Did anyone ever tell you you have a cute laugh?” Donghyuk asked genuinely, grinning as the sound of the man's laugh echoed throughout the shower. After suddenly being complimented, Mark cleared his throat as his ears returned to a bashful crimson. 

“No… is it?”

“Yeah, it’s adorable. God, you’re so bad at taking compliments.”

Mark rubbed the back of his neck, a weak agreeing snort leaving him. “I get shy, I guess.”

“I know, and it’s also cute.”

“Dude, stop calling me cute.” The way his voice sounded muffled made it clear he was pouting. Even though Donghyuk was already done washing his back, Mark was reluctant to turn back around. If Mark was going to be so shy, then Donghyuk was going to milk it—addicted to teasing him.

“Why would I stop though?” His voice came out more raspy than he intended. “When it makes you so flustered?” Donghyuk slid up behind him, wrapping his arms around his middle and pulling their bodies flush together. Mark was warm against his chest and so tense Donghyuk wondered if he was even breathing. Hooking his chin over his shoulder, he grinned as he snuggled up. “Maybe you are right.  _ I’m _ the one who can’t control myself,” he hissed this out, nipping at the man's ear playfully. 

Mark twitched but didn’t say anything, frozen, and Donghyuk grinned. He dragged his hands over the man's chest, feeling the rise and fall of his muscles under the pads of his fingers before yanking him closer by the hips. 

Mark’s heart jumped, beating rapidly against the ear Donghyuk had laid on his neck. He laid a kiss on the spot under Mark’s ear, noting the way he twitched again, breathing uneven. Fuck, Donghyuk was kind of turned on now. A thrill went through him at the thought that Mark could probably feel his semi hard-on pressed to his ass and wasn’t shying away.

“Hyuk…” he said, an uncertain little whine following. 

“Mm?” Donghyuk continued kissing down the side of his throat, zeroed in on Mark’s abnormal heartbeat and the warm skin touching him everywhere. 

“We should stop.”

“Mm. Why don’t you  _ make me. _ ”

Donghyuk gasped, the air knocked out of him when Mark spun around, getting into his space instead. He was pushed flush up against the chilly shower wall, strong arms caging him in. That’s what he’s talking about! He put a hand to Mark’s chest, breathing into the space between them as he met Mark’s furious gaze. 

Donghyuk’s grin slid away as he spotted the real anger in Mark’s eyes, brows furrowed and frown pulling down on his face. Perhaps Donghyuk had pushed his luck too far….

He swallowed, letting his hand slide away. 

He must have read Mark wrong, somehow. Perhaps those looks weren’t real, they were just pretend… because they were fake engaged. Donghyuk must have forgotten it was all an act. 

“Sorry,” he said, afraid to speak too loudly. Apologizing was fucking embarrassing.

Mark’s face went slack, something like shock passing over his expression. He hesitated, still leaning into Donghyuk's space, mouth hanging open. To Donghyuk’s shock, Mark reached up and brushed some wet hair out of Donghyuk’s face, fingers skirting over his slick skin and coming to cup his jaw.

Donghyuk held his breath, unsure what to think, as Mark’s eyes landed on his lips. Water ran down Mark’s side, dripped down his hair and onto Donghyuk’s chest in a gentle rhythm.

Something seemed to bring Mark back, because his hand stilled and he pulled it away quickly. “It’s fine. I’m… done anyway.”

Donghyuk let out the breath he’d accidentally kept trapped in his throat as Mark closed the shower door behind him. He grabbed a towel and left the bathroom, only sending Donghyuk one little pinched look before closing the door and leaving the younger all alone.

The back of Donghyuk's head hit the shower wall. He shouldn’t have done any of that. He really went too far this time. He wasn’t even sure why. “Fucking idiot,” he bit out, pushing off the wall to finish showering.


	6. Chapter 6

“This fiancé-for-hire of yours did what?”

“He like… felt me up in the shower,” Mark repeated, unable to look at his phone as Jaemin and Jeno laughed at him through FaceTime. He huffed, shivering a little as he stood on the balcony of his room, the last rays of evening not enough to fight off the chill air. He would go inside—Donghyuk had left long ago for Jisung’s room—but he was still worried about being overheard.

“So you ran away!? Mark! This is why you haven’t gotten laid in, like,  _ years _ ,” Jaemin chastised. “Renjun showed us pictures, and this guy looks exactly like your type. Why didn’t you just go with it? Get your dick sucked by a  _ professional _ .”

“He’s not a fucking prostitute,” Mark countered, frowning. “I mean… I’m kind of worried that he’s actually only doing all that _ because _ I’m paying him, so he feels like he has to, or maybe… I don’t know, maybe he actually just wants my wealth for real. I really can’t fucking tell.” Would Donghyuk really pursue him for his money? He  _ has _ been joking about it pretty openly. Someone like Donghyuk—always making cool and calculated moves masked by sarcastic charm—could easily be a gold digger. 

Mark just couldn’t think of any other type of explanation. 

“Maybe he just thinks you're cute?” Jeno offered. 

Mark instantly rejected this. “You guys haven’t met him. There’s no reason he’d like me at all. Trust me. The only time he compliments me outside of acting is when he's trying to get a rise out of me anyway.”

Jaemin scoffed. “Sounds like flirting to me.”

“It’s not like that,” Mark mumbled, kicking the ground absently as he blinked against the blinding sunset. 

“Mm-hmm.”

“Whatever. Look, I don’t know. It just freaked me out, okay? Like, it’s kind of not what I expected when I hired him...”

“You guys are literally fake engaged. What the fuck do you mean? That’s, like,  _ the _ breeding ground for sexual tension! I mean, if you guys hit it off, you hit it off. Can’t deny your heart, man,” Jaemin pointed out. Jeno hummed in agreement where he had his head rested on Jaemin’s chest.

“I’m here to get into my grandpa’s will, not get laid or whatever…”

“Why not both?”

“Jesus, guys. I called to check in, stop encouraging me to do stupid shit.” Mark pouted. “It’s like you're trying to get me to misbehave.”

Jeno snorted, eyes fluttering shut as the two cuddled. “Maybe you’re just too uptight. Maybe you  _ need  _ to misbehave a little, dude. I thought the whole point of this was to get your grandpa's money so you can do whatever you want.”

“Yeah,  _ but!  _ While I’m here I have to be the grandson he always wanted. It’s like going through the eye of the hurricane to reach the clear sky, ya know? I just need to be good for one more night.” He can’t live under these heavy clouds any longer. Just one more night. “So I’m not going to sleep with Donghyuk.” Especially when Mark didn’t know what the man wanted from him.

“Lame!” Jaemin groaned. “At least tell me you got the bandana signed. I want to frame it.”

“Oh fuck, I totally forgot about it. We went horseback riding with them today as well. I’ll have to ask later, sorry.”

“Mark! Ugh, you go horseback riding with your cute fake fiancé and two A-list celebrities  _ once  _ and totally forget about your friends. I see how it is.”

“Jaemin, stop being dramatic. I’ll get you the signed bandana.”

“Mm-hm, sure.” 

Jeno pinched Jaemin to get him to stop pouting. “We’re supposed to be talking about Mark and Mark’s problems, Jaem,” Jeno hissed. 

Mark snorted, kicking his foot out again. “Well, I don’t really have anything else to talk about. I haven’t been around my family enough to even pick up on any more juicy gossip or whatever. So give everyone my condolences.”

“Don’t worry, I’m  _ way _ more invested in you and this Donghyuk guy now anyway.” Jaemin wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. 

Mark shook his head a little, shoulders scrunched up against a cold breeze. “Well nothing's going to happen, so don’t get your hopes up.”

“Sure,” they both chorused and then snickered. 

Mark huffed but decided he was digging his own grave here. After some more teasing and bickering, Mark eventually hung up when it was clear the two had gotten distracted tickling each other like children. 

Their words clung to him like the chilly air as he stepped back inside and got ready for the New Year’s party. He supposed he and Donghyuk had kind of hit it off. It had only been a day, but he already felt closer to his fake fiancé than some of his real family. But how much of that was an act? Donghyuk didn’t seem to have any problem acting like best friends with complete strangers, after all. Hell, Mark had already witnessed first-hand the way he pried people open and climbed right into that comfortable air of friendship like he lived there. Maybe he’d done the same to Mark already… no, scratch that, Mark was _ sure _ he had. Whatever his intent might be, Donghyuk had definitely already worked his way into Mark's heart by the sheer force of his character. 

And what if his intent  _ was _ malicious? What if he was doing all this to try to get even more of Mark's money? Was Donghyuk really  _ that _ greedy to try to long con him? Mark just couldn’t tell. So he shouldn’t even be entertaining the idea of allowing Donghyuk to cross the line of business and romance. It was out of the question. 

He really shouldn’t be worrying about any of this, because as soon as they were done with this, and the payments went through, he’d probably never see Donghyuk again anyway. They were just doing business after all… 

But, if that was true, then why was Mark frowning?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a [playlist of swing songs I recommend for this whole scene!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0QVlJusU4kMLTuEV0RU2K8?si=F-ogOOLuTfKkE7TjGOfJ8Q)  
> 

Cherry Manor had stood tall on its plot of land for well over a century now, its wide halls, acoustically tuned ballrooms, and luxurious smoking rooms rarely ever serving their true purpose. Tonight though, the estate was _alive_ and doing exactly what it was built for: hosting guests. 

As Mark descended the large curved stairs in the entryway, he could already hear dinner party jazz and courteous laughter floating through the air. The single chandelier that hung from the center of the ceiling like a massive teardrop was shimmering with its hundred of crystals, welcoming the stream of guests that was trickling in through the wide-open front doors. Outside, the rounding drive was full of luxury cars, even more trailing down the long gravel lane with their headlights blazing through the dark. Servants at the door were accepting people's coats, and waiters floated through the crowd with platters laden with champagne and hors d’oeuvres. 

As he started recognizing faces—some from his childhood, but most from the news and movies—he was glad he’d taken the time to properly get ready and comb his hair back. The suit he’d put on was new as well, a gift from his mother when he’d told her he was coming. It was perfectly tailored and slipping right into its comfortable stitching made him nostalgic for all those other fitted clothes he used to own. 

It had been so long. 

His fingers naturally found the warm metal of the watch around his wrist, heart jumping to his throat at the sight of so many people. Not only was it a New Year’s party at Black Cherry Estate, which were already legendary affairs, but it also doubled as a farewell party of sorts for Mark’s grandfather. A lavish send-off fit for an old rich man.

“Mark.” Hearing a voice tentative and maybe even shy, Mark was surprised when he turned to see Donghyuk was the one who had spoken. Words died in his throat upon seeing him, completely taken by his fiancé. 

His hair was slightly curled, making it fluffy and full of life. It tickled his shapely eyebrows, underneath which his eyes glistened with the help of alluring shades of maroon and rose eyeshadow. His makeup was dusted with glitter in certain spots—along the waterline of his eyes and in clustered flecks on his cheek. His entire face seemed to glow.

Pretty tear-drop earrings sparkled when he turned his head, leading the eyes naturally to his off-white lace embroidered blouse. It was uniquely feminine and regal in the way it tapered down from its billowing shoulders and high collar to hug his waist before disappearing beneath the band of high-waisted dress pants. 

Donghyuk was just… beautiful. Mark didn’t have any other words to describe how he kept outdoing himself and taking Mark’s breath away.

“I hope the look isn’t too much. Taeyong said I should lean into playing wifey, so I let him dress me. It’s a little retro, but I thought the glamor was fitting for the occasion.” Donghyuk’s eyelids sparkled as he blinked, eyeing Mark cautiously through the fans of his eyelashes. 

“I, uh, no you… you look great, _darling_.” Mark couldn’t help the smile that pulled on his lips, dazzled. 

Donghyuk’s lip twitched back as well, seeming to lighten up at the endearment. “You’ve never called me that before,” he whispered. Mark’s heart did something when Donghyuk tucked some hair behind his ear and took a step forward, holding out a hand. 

“Well, we’re engaged aren’t we?” Mark took his hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm, escorting Donghyuk like a gentleman should. 

“Ah, engaged, yes.” Donghyuk’s smile had slipped away at Mark's words, but before Mark could ask what he’d said wrong, Donghyuk interjected, “I hope you don’t mind me hanging out with Taeyong without you. It sort of happened before I could ask if it was okay. I was on my way back from Jisung’s room, and we ran into each other and started talking. I admitted I liked his fashion and looked up to him a lot, and one thing led to another, then suddenly he was loaning me his clothes and doing my makeup.”

Mark wasn’t really sure what Donghyuk was on about, having barely noticed what he’d said about Taeyong to begin with. He’d been more distracted by Donghyuk himself. He just nodded along now as they strode down the hall toward the source of the music. But as Donghyuk continued to talk, it dawned on him that the man was rambling because he was nervous. Donghyuk, _nervous_ to be with _him_. He hadn’t even known he was capable of that.

It was because of what had happened in the shower, wasn’t it? Even if Donghyuk had only been trying to butter him up for more money, the way Mark ran away must have still put a damper on it all… Well, Donghyuk couldn’t be genuinely hurt, right? Not if it was all an act, that is.

He failed to come up with an answer as he thought back to the incident, to the way Donghyuk had apologized. The single hesitant ‘sorry’ he’d uttered didn’t really fit into the greedy mold of the gold digger Mark had been fearing. 

But no matter what, Donghyuk was still here for money, not out of the kindness of his heart. 

Mark became acutely aware of where they brushed together, how Donghyuk’s hand curled around his elbow. He could practically feel water running down skin and the pads of Donghyuk’s persistent fingers digging into his hips, lips ghosting over his neck and— 

Mark cleared his throat and willed the image away before his ears could give him away. Just business, nothing more.

“Uh, it’s fine, I really don’t mind. As long as you’re _sticking to it_ ,” Mark said awkwardly, whispering. There were tons of people around and, as a part of the family, Mark naturally drew eyes, but with a pretty man like Donghyuk in tow they were getting even more attention. They couldn’t be talking about _business-related_ stuff right now. 

“I was professional. Don’t worry.” Donghyuk wasn’t looking at him, seeming a little put-off still. 

Mark chewed on the inside of his cheek, stomach starting to feel like a weighted stone. Donghyuk was supposed to be the only one he could be open with, be himself, and yet now… it was all wrong. 

Mark had let himself get too comfortable with Donghyuk, so maybe some distance was good. He should be happy Donghyuk was finally respecting the line he’d drawn. 

Yet...

“That’s new,” Donghyuk said, seemingly unable to sit with the silence that had started to stretch between them. He was pointing at Mark’s watch.

“It was my dad’s,” Mark said, just as eager to jump on any type of distraction. He twisted his wrist to show it to Donghyuk. It was nothing crazy, just a metal watch with a pretty face. Mark loved it though. 

“I see.” Donghyuk examined it with appreciative eyes, features smoothing out a little. Donghyuk already knew that Mark’s dad had died of lung cancer when he was young. “Why are you wearing it now, though?”

Mark shrugged, staring at the little clock. “I think my dad might have found it amusing for me to wear it here.” He elaborated when Donghyuk raised a brow, “He hated my grandfather, honestly. Even as in-laws they never got along. He just wasn't old money like my mother’s side of the family, so my grandfather hadn’t agreed to the marriage at first—since my mom was his oldest daughter and all. My dad went and married her anyway. As revenge, my grandfather raised his kids—me and Johnny—when my dad died. Funny... that was.”

There were little creases around Donghyuk’s eyes, a soft smile painting his whole face as he watched Mark talk about his dad. “The watch is kind of a little bit of rebellion against your Hal-aboeji then?”

“Yeah, exactly. I guess so.” Mark adjusted the watch once more before dropping his hand again. “My dad would have been on my side, after all.” 

Donghyuk didn’t comment on that, just eyed him with _that_ look again, the one that made the hair on the back of his neck rise. Mark wondered what he was thinking now, what exactly was dancing in the brown depths of his eyes. When he looked at Mark maybe all he saw was dollar signs. That's what everyone else saw when they learned which family he belonged to.

Mark wasn’t so sure that this look was any different than those being sent his way now by other guests. Once people knew who he was—what he was worth in cash—he was nothing more than an opportunity. Donghyuk probably saw him the same way, lounging around the manor as if it might one day be his. 

Any companionship he’d started to find in Donghyuk felt like nothing more than sand slipping between his fingers now. He’d almost forgotten what it was like to be Lee Minhyung—off in some fantasy with his guitar for too many years. Yet Black Cherry Estate somehow soured every good thing in Mark’s life, as if its towering ceilings were held up by the grievances of his past alone. 

As he walked arm in arm with his fiancé down the bustling halls, Mark realized he’d never felt so alone. 

  
  


~•❧•~

  
  


Mark knew it would happen, but it was still irksome to watch as Donghyuk went from attending the party to becoming the party itself. With a crystal glass of champagne poised in his hand and a wide smile on his glossy lips, he chatted away with a group of young men. It made Mark bristle a little to watch from his place a few safe paces away. Especially when he knew Donghyuk knew these men only wanted to talk because they thought Donghyuk was a cute trophy of a date. Tonight's wonderfully crafted look gave him just enough androgyny to make everyone curious, especially those who thought they might be able to buy their way into his pants. Yet Donghyuk was still entertaining them, letting them laugh as he told a story and happily accepting every compliment they threw his way. 

Perhaps he’d let them buy him, then. Mark felt awful the minute he even considered it. Donghyuk wasn’t a prostitute. He was just doing his job, playing the charming fiancé like Mark was paying him to. 

“You’re glaring, Mark.” 

A tall man with a soft face and an even softer voice smiled back at him when Mark turned toward the familiar voice.

“Jungwoo,” he said, a little astonished gasp leaving his lips. “It’s been ages. You’re back in the US?”

Jungwoo, one of the many faces from his childhood, had been an upperclassman at his private high school. They’d been friends who ate lunch together and spent their time bothering pretty female classmates. However, when Jungwoo had moved to Paris to take over his mother's luxury brand and study fashion design, Mark had quickly lost touch—like he had with all his _friends_ from before he left.

It was probably better that way.

“I’ve been back for a few years, actually. I started my own fashion line here in New York—but it’s boring so don’t ask me about it.” Jungwoo waved a dismissive hand before Mark could even open his mouth. “I’m here because when I heard Black Cherry Estate was opening its doors again for a party, well, I couldn’t resist.”

“Wow, well, that’s, uh, super cool, dude.” Mark really didn’t know what to say. He hadn't expected to see any of his old friends here. He cringed at the informal lingo he’d slipped into, but luckily Jungwoo didn’t say anything about it. 

“Is that pretty face the fiancé I’ve heard so much about?” Jungwoo jabbed a chin at Donghyuk. 

“Yeah. That’s Haechan. How could you tell?”

“I can practically smell the jealousy rolling off you in waves, dear.” 

“Oh, really? That’s embarrassing.” Mark rubbed the back of his neck, trying to smile a little. Had he really been that obvious? Wait, why was Mark even jealous…?

“Just means you must like him a lot. I mean, I see why… God, he’s like a little sun, just attracting all the drifting men, isn’t he?” Jungwoo spun his finger to simulate a planet falling into orbit.

“That’s one way to describe it,” Mark mumbled, eyeing his fiancé as he laughed at something one of the ‘orbiting men’ said. 

“I’d be worried about losing him as well...” Jungwoo’s eyes lingered just a little too long on Donghyuk and Mark pursed his lips. Seeing his look, Jungwoo snorted and held up his hand to reveal a wedding band. “Don’t worry, dear. I got married last spring. Lucas. Runway model. Tall and built—has a huge cock. Nice guy. You’d get along, I think.” 

Mark laughed. “Wow, congratulations. Sounds… nice, yeah.” 

“Ah, I should be the one congratulating you though! How in god's name did you get a man like _that_ to accept _your_ proposal?” 

“A lot of people have been asking that. I’m starting to get the sense that everyone thinks he’s out of my league.”

“Well he absolutely is.”

Mark huffed a little. “We dated for a few years before I proposed,” he lied. It was getting easier the more times he’d been forced to recount their fake love story. 

“Really? Huh. I heard you’d _gone rogue_ , though. So he’d have had to date you during _all that_ then? Damn, now that’s gotta be true love.” Jungwoo laughed, but Mark couldn’t even manage it. It was just a joke but the implications cut into him like a knife: Mark, the real, guitar playing Mark, was hard to love. Without his money, there was nothing _to_ love.

It hurt because, well… Mark was starting to think it was true. 

Mark took a glass of champagne off the next tray that floated by and tipped all its contents down his throat in one go. He needed something to round the edges of his rigid mood and keep him from running away all over again.

He patted Jungwoo on the shoulder. “Nice catching up, man. I’ll, uh, catch you around. I’ve gotta collect my fiancé before he charms the whole party.” Mark didn’t wait around to hear his response, done with Jungwoo, and headed right for Donghyuk.

Having to nudge someone out of the way to slide up next to him, Mark eventually broke into the circle and placed a hand on his fiancé's lower back. Donghyuk didn’t stop rambling at his appearance, but everyone else eyed Mark warily and a few took a couple respectful steps back. 

“...and then, after I already thought I was drunk off my ass on this stuff, my chauffeur goes ‘Sir, that’s _water_ ’,” Donghyuk finished.

Everyone laughed as if it was the funniest thing they’d ever heard. Mark chuckled along courteously but took the chance to lean over and whisper to his fiancé, “We should go to the room where Hal-aboeji is entertaining.”

Donghyuk nodded and looked back at all his men sadly. “Well thank you gentlemen, but I really have to go.” They all tried to talk at the same time, offering their phones to try to get his number. “You’re all too kind, but I really shouldn’t… not in front of my fiancé at least.” It was clear Donghyuk was having fun as he cackled—born to be the center of attention. “Gosh, I’m just kidding,” he added when he saw Mark's unamused face. He waved at them as Mark steered him away. “Bye, bye boys~” 

When they were out of earshot, Donghyuk snorted. “Why so serious? You’re really playing up the jealous boyfriend act, huh?” 

Mark blinked. He hadn’t been acting. “Uh, yeah.” Mark was being awfully protective. Did he like Donghyuk? The more he thought about it, the more he realized he definitely had a crush. Maybe it should have been obvious. Still…. Fuck. It made this all more complicated. 

After all, he might be playing right into Donghyuk’s hand.

This thought bounced right off his mind the instant he looked at Donghyuk, though. Donghyuk was sparkling tonight—standing out amongst all the glamour simply by virtue of his unflappable personality. Shinier than any diamond on any of the many necklaces here tonight. Honestly, how could Mark _not_ like him? Whether it was by Donghyuk’s volition or not, Mark thought it would have been inevitable. 

If Donghyuk really was a sun, then Mark was a planet on a collision course.

“They arrive. The talk of the night,” Johnny announced as soon as they stepped into the large room, not allowing them to slip into the crowd like Mark had wanted. This room was significantly more populated than the others, everyone wanting to talk to Mark’s grandfather. The amount of people that turned to look at them had Mark’s gut clenching. There were definitely more than a few whispers that broke out as well. 

After all, to them, Mark was the good-for-nothing who came crawling back in a last ditch attempt at getting his dying grandpa's money. But they were right. Absolutely fucking right. Mark’s grandfather was dying and here he was with his fake fiancé and new suit… pathetic.

The talk of the night, indeed. 

When Johnny came over to guide them through the loose crowd, everyone finally went back to their casual conversations. The room across the hall was where the live swing band was playing, so even over the chatter Mark could make out every chord of the cover of Me, Myself, and I by Billie Holiday—one of Hal-aboeji’s favorites. 

“I like your, er, makeup, Haechan,” Johnny said, the compliment not coming to him naturally. Mark appreciated that he was at least trying. 

“Aw, thank you. It was Taeyong’s idea though. You don’t think it will be too much for your Hal-aboeji, right?” Haechan asked politely, trying to peer through the people as they approached a clearing.

“Oh no, not at all. Hal-aboeji was quite a party animal back in his day, so believe it or not, he has his own appreciation for the bizarre,” Johnny said, completely oblivious to the fact he’d just called Haechan’s makeup ‘bizarre’.

Haechan’s eyebrow twitched and Mark could see him physically trying not to grimace. “Well that’s good to hear.”

Johnny guided them to the edge of the circle. “I brought them, Hal-aboeji,” he said cheerfully. Mark would have liked to correct that he had in fact come of his own free will, but he didn’t bother. Their grandfather was sat on a fancy little couch, cane in hand and his best modified-hanbok suit on. Doyoung on his left and Kun on his right, both of the men were also looking their best. It was like a throne the way they were both perched around the bent-over old man. There was also a healthy distance kept between everyone else and the seat. 

“Minhyung, good, I was just about to start my speech. It’s not late, but I fear I’m not meant to be up with the moon these days.” The crowd chortled. The old man grinned a little, but it wasn’t at Mark. He used to smile like that at Mark when he was a child, patting him on the head and telling him he’d done well. Mark looked at his feet. 

“Well I ought to get to it, then,” his grandfather muttered in Korean, beckoning Doyoung to help him to his feet. Supporting the old man by the elbow, he was barely as tall as Doyoung’s shoulder because of the curvature of his spine. 

The entire crowd quieted down and gathered around, eager to hear what their infamous host had to say. Mark put an arm around Donghyuk’s waist and dragged him closer, glad when Donghyuk leaned his head on his shoulder. He needed someone to hold onto. 

“When I came to America to flee the Korean war, I had nothing but the clothes on my back.”

Mark normally would roll his eyes at this story, as he’d heard it a thousand times. Tonight all he could do was watch, mind and heart terrifyingly empty as he stood before the old man. Hollowed out by the night already.

“I was only a young man with his wife, and I lived like a poor man for many, many years. One day though, I decided I’d had enough. I wasn’t going to live the way everyone was saying I had to.” 

_Ironic_ , Mark thought bitterly. 

“America is the place of dreams, is it not? So I grabbed onto my dream—” The old man grabbed the air, curling his wrinkled fingers around nothing. “—and I didn’t let it go. I decided the American dream was just as much mine as anyone else's.”

His grandfather was living in the past, because Mark had just spent the last four years living the same life, working just as hard, but where was his American Dream? His slice of the good life? As he thought about that, he also wondered if it was really his fault at all that he’d wasted his time these last couple of years. 

“So what did I do? I opened one of the first banks in my area, trusting immigrants the way most banks wouldn’t. Business went so well that soon enough I had my Chinese and Irish neighbors banging on my door. One person at a time, a single dollar at a time, I grew out of the first little building and moved to downtown New York. That’s around the time I found Black Cherry Estate, looking for a place to call my own. It was run down, decrepit even. No one else would buy it. To them it was a manor on the verge of becoming rubble. But I saw potential in it, as well as its outstanding personality. This very manor is one of the things I’m most proud of, one of the first things I paid for with all my own money, the first that I not only brought back to life, but improved! I was living here when I sold my business and went into investing. It’s where I raised my kids, as well as my kid’s kids.

“Now, as my days come to a close… I find myself full of pride. I’ve built a home. I’ve built _many_. I’ve also built a family, one which brought me great joy as well as stress. Nonetheless, they are my legacy. I can only pray they will be kind to my memory. My lovely daughters and son could not be here tonight, and my youngest daughter seems to be off somewhere else as always, but I’m glad all my grandchildren, and their children, have been able to make it. It warms my heart to see I’ll be living on through them.”

Hal-aboeji gave a toothy grin to Eren and Laura who were clinging to their mother’s dress, looking bored. 

“All my grandchildren are so hardworking with bright prospects ahead of them. It makes me proud to call them family.” 

Mark was well aware of the way his grandfather glanced at all his other grandchildren but Mark, as if making a point to single him out. This was so much worse than Mark had been expecting. He felt sicker and sicker by the second. He really was the disappointment of the whole family, the smear on the lineage. 

Just because he didn’t want to be his grandfather's little businessman. That… that wasn’t fair. 

“That being said, I’m not without my fair share of regrets. There are some things that will haunt me forever, I’m afraid. Many decisions I’ve made, and messes I’ll be leaving behind. What man isn’t without his regrets, though.”

Mark furrowed his brows at that. He’d never heard his grandfather ever admit to having any regrets at all, because that would mean having to admit to mistakes. But Hal-aboeji didn’t make mistakes, or at least, that’s how he’d branded himself for so many years. He was just glad Hal-aboeji didn’t look at him when he mentioned regrets.

“I’m glad you all have allowed this night to be one full of pride and joy regardless. I couldn’t have asked for a better New Year’s welcome, and I do hope you all enjoy yourselves. Thank you for listening to an old man’s rambling. Now, please help yourself to our wine cellar—it’s about time we emptied it.” With that, he ended his speech. 

There was a round of applause and some people moved in to try to talk to him, but Hal-aboeji held out a hand to stop them. “Sorry, I have to accept my grandchildren's respects first.” 

Mark’s gut twisted. He’d forgotten about the New Year’s tradition of bowing to your elders and wishing them well to receive money and wisdom from them. Normally, it was held on the Lunar New Year, but he supposed it was close enough this year. He was really going to make them do it in front of everybody? 

How would Mark look to everybody then, just fulfilling his duty of groveling at his grandpa's feet? He should beg though, shouldn’t he? That’s what he was, after all. Someone who needed his grandfather and his money to be deserving of anything at all. Right now, Mark was nothing. He _needed_ to be forgiven. He hadn’t wanted to waste his time for four years. He didn’t mean to. Couldn’t they all tell he regretted it? That he was here because he had nowhere else to turn? 

He hated his grandfather, but... he was nothing without him. 

Kun was the first to bow down before him, form a little stiff. Hal-aboeji didn’t care though, nodding along to Kun’s words of well-wishing. He didn’t hand out red envelopes of cash this time. Instead, he blatantly told Kun that his inheritance would be his last gift for Kun’s hard work. Jisung was next and was also told his inheritance was secured because of his bright future. Jaehyun was also told he didn’t have to worry.

Mark couldn’t believe he’d be doing this here, right in front of everyone. This… this was Mark’s chance. When he bowed, he’d apologize, beg for forgiveness, and maybe then his grandfather would pat him on the head and tell him he’d done well, just _one last time._ Like he used to, before Mark had gone and tried to be himself.

Mark's phone buzzed and he robotically pulled it from his pocket. It was his friends. Their names slowly streamed in, obviously a coordinated event. First Jeno, then Jaemin, Yangyang, and Renjun.

_Good luck Mark!_

_Tonight is the night. Bring back that bag, king._

_We’re all rooting for u. U got this. Ur family ain't shit._

_Mark, I hope it’s all going well. I want my new laptop. Jk jk. Whatever happens, I’ll be happy._

Mark blinked at the messages. Why were they reaching out now? Just to remind him of the shitty con he was pulling? Or remind him of Seattle… of the years of spinning his wheels. 

No. Mark was being ridiculous. 

They were wishing him well because they were his friends. They didn’t care that he was begging for money, or that he’d spent four years strumming a guitar and staring at his ceiling. They were _Mark’s_ friends, not Lee Minhyung’s, not his money’s. Mark’s friends.

He’d met Jeno and Jaemin when he first moved to Seattle and they let him crash on their couch. Renjun had been next, a barista at the local coffee shop Mark made his home base. Yangyang was the psycho with the drum set who beat the idea of a band into Mark’s heart. They never asked about Mark’s past or even why he’d been all alone. It wasn’t until they’d all been living together for a year that he even opened up about it. They didn’t care though. If anything, his preppy past just made him easier to tease. They _only_ knew the Mark he’d become, and they still liked him. 

That freedom had been priceless. If those four years had been a waste of time, then by following that logic his friends, all the songs he wrote, all the experience working odd jobs and learning how to properly thrift… that would have been a waste of his time as well. But, that couldn’t be right...

“Minhyung?”

Mark quickly put his phone away, swallowing even though his throat was so dry it hurt. So it was his turn to bow down then. 

He stepped forward and got to his knees, hands clasped in his lap as he hung his head. Now was the time to ask for forgiveness. He had to do it now. That’s what he’d come here to do. He needed to get into that will. 

He needed to open his mouth and speak! Just say it! It wasn’t that hard. Why wouldn’t anything come out? Was he really that useless?

“Minhyung,” his grandfather said. He couldn’t look up at him, so after a long second the old man continued anyway. “Before you go and bow, I’d like to say that I’m glad you’ve returned. Though you were lost for a while, I knew you were always a good boy deep down and would come back to me. We’ve all made mistakes, after all.”

And then Mark was supposed to bow respectfully and wait for his grandfather to hand him his red envelope—secure his place in the will. Like Mark wanted. Like he’d come here, dyed his hair, missed Renjun’s gig, paid Donghyuk, and lied for. 

It was what he’d wanted… So why couldn’t he bow? His hands shook where he clutched them.

“It wasn’t a mistake.” The words were out before Mark could stop them. It was true though, and Mark wasn’t going to fucking do this if it meant having to say that all that time making friends and finding who he really was was nothing. When it was _everything_ to Mark. 

“I’m sorry, Hal-aboeji. I wasted your time by coming here…” Mark got to his feet, dusting himself off. “I hope you’ll forgive me, but I just can’t _be this_. If that means I can’t have your money—your approval—then…” He finally looked at the old man, fists clenched. “Than you can fucking shove it.”

“Mark!” Johnny barked.

“Now, Minghyung.” His grandfather huffed, taken aback. “What are you even talking about?”

“I don’t regret leaving the first time. I’m sorry, I just don’t. Because you haven’t changed at all.” Then it just all poured out, right there in front of everyone. “Couldn’t you just have listened to me? I tried to tell you for _years_ that I didn’t want to live the life you laid out for me and then when I left you acted like it was out of nowhere! Like _I_ was the psycho!”

“You weren’t making sense. You never have, Mark. Please calm down,” his grandfather scolded, face growing red.

“No! I won't. You’re still not listening. Look, I guess all my other cousins are fine groveling at your feet and desperately trying to live up to your fucking expectations, but I’m not. You can't control me like you try to control everything else. I’m not yours to bend and break and I’m not going to back down from that just for your fucking money. If it means saying the person I've really become is wrong or undeserving, then I don’t want it anymore. Give it all to perfect-fucking-Kun for all I care. I’m done.”

“Minghyung!”

“Mark!”

The crowd parted for him as he shoved through them and out of the room and through the halls. He didn’t look back, heart hammering in his ears and alarms blaring in his head. He couldn’t even think. There were too many people, too many eyes and voices. It was too much. It had always been too much. He wasn't meant for it, for any of this. He thought he’d escaped it four years ago, but he’d never really stopped looking for approval. He was so blinded by it, he hadn’t even seen why he’d been so happy to be gone. All he’d ever wanted was to be seen. Just be _seen_ by his grandfather.

The real waste of time had been thinking he could ever get that recognition. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Edited this CH Feb 22, 2021, to fix sentence flow and such]

Cold air nipped at his skin as he pushed out of the door and stumbled into the winter night. It closed behind him, leaving him to stare into the darkness that stretched out beyond the railing. He felt a pull in his gut, a desperate  _ want  _ to run to that place way in the distance where white snow met the speckled night sky. 

And, he would run if he could, but… he’d left all his friends on the other side of the country. Here, no one would run after him.

The air stung his lungs as he let it trickle in through his constricted wind pipes. Every breath hurt.

“Mark!” 

Bursting out of the door, Donghyuk grabbed onto him—grip bruising and breath coming out in puff. 

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m not getting into the will but I’ll pay you what we agreed,” Mark snapped, voice shaking dangerously. He couldn’t deal with this right now.

Donghyuk recoiled slightly but didn’t let go. “I… What? No, look—Mark, are you okay?” His eyes, round and quivering, were looking right into Mark’s. 

Mark paused. 

Was he really just concerned about Mark, not the money? But… 

His gaze was unwavering with a grip tight as steel, as if he was worried Mark might slip through his fingers. For once, Mark was absolutely certain Donghyuk wasn’t acting. 

_ Oh. _

_ Donghyuk _ had run after him. No one else did, no one else would, yet...

Mark yanked Donghyuk forward and wrapped his arms around him, and just _held_ him. The man was rigid for a moment, but when he settled in he _melted_. Leaning into the embrace, he snaked his hands around Mark as well.

Mark squeezed him, absorbing all of his warmth like he really was the sun—so blindingly warm that Mark feared he had mistaken the bright rays for greedy flames. 

“I’m sorry, Donghyuk.” 

Donghyuk snorted, rubbing a hand up and down his back in a circular motion. “What are you apologizing for now?” 

“I don’t know…” 

“Mmm, of course. That’s so Mark.”

Mark’s entire face split into a smile and he crushed Donghyuk so hard the man squeaked. “Well  _ I am _ Mark.” Not Lee Minhyung, or the disappointment of the family… just  _ Mark. _ “And that’s… okay.”

“I would hope so. I quite like Mark, after all.”

Mark's laugh dissolved into a whimper as a sob racked his form. 

“Oh jeez, okay. Uh, I don’t know what I said. I’m sorry, babe.” Donghyuk buried his face in his neck, squeezing him back a little, supporting Mark as his legs turned to jelly. 

As soon as they started the tears seemed to flow without rhyme or reason, all of the grief being wrung out of him. Black Cherry Estate had thoroughly soaked him in his own blood, tearing open old wounds and cutting new ones. He thought if he just took it, just put up with it a little longer, it would be okay. But he’d bled out too much and now the whole world was spinning.

They stood there for a long while, Mark crying and Donghyuk just letting him. It was so raw, so… nice. Mark wanted the comforting embrace to be real. He needed it to be real. 

“I shouldn’t have come back. I really fucking hate this place,” was all Mark managed to weeze out, desperately trying not to get snot on Donghyuk’s expensive clothes. His mind was quick to grab on to any distraction, and so he found himself choking back his sobs—the stitching was so nice, he shouldn’t cry on it. 

Donghyuk gently rocked them back and forth. “I hate it here as well.” 

“What?” Mark pulled back, having to see his face to make sure Donghyuk was being honest.

“You’re surprised?” 

“Uh, yeah.” He wiped his nose on his sleeve and Donghyuk made a face. “I mean you fit in so perfectly after all. And you seem to like all the luxury and stuff.”

“Well yeah, the  _ things _ are nice. After spending a few days here though… I think I’ve maybe had only one or two genuine interactions. I know I’m playing a part but, weirdly, I’m starting to suspect so is everyone else. It’s just not for me. Plus, I miss my commoner food like Hot Lime Cheetos.” 

Mark would have laughed but he was too busy trying not to cry again. “I thought… I thought—then why did you try to seduce me? Weren’t you after more money?”

Donghyuk’s laugh was a mixture of amusement and disbelief. “I wasn’t trying to  _ seduce _ you. You make me sound so awful. Fuck, you’re kinda mean, Mark.” He was trying to be sarcastic, but Mark could see a flash of hurt cross his face.

“That’s why I apologized,” Mark pointed out with a sniffle.

“What, preemptively?”

“No, for thinking you had bad intentions. I’m... sorry.”

Donghyuk looked over his face before sighing. “Well, you were probably right to suspect me. You did hire me to do this after all. Remember, you said you were ‘paying me to be the bad guy.’” 

Donghyuk was so quick to forgive him. Mark wanted to hug him again, but at this point he was  _ really _ worried about getting snot or something on his clothes. 

Donghyuk eyed him, biting down on his bottom lip as if something was trying to escape. “Mark, about you hiring me to play your fiancé. I want to be honest. I’m not—”

“I knew it!” someone cheered.

“Fuck!”

“Holy—”

They both jumped. Mark, in nothing but smooth-soled dress shoes, slipped on the icy ground. Donghyuk still had a deadly grip on him, so when Mark fell, Donghyuk fell with him. Mark let out an  _ oof _ as his butt hit the hard concrete and Donghyuk landed on top of him, knocking all the air out of his lungs. 

“Oh fuck, are you guys okay? Shit, I’m sorry.”

Mark blinked away the spots in his vision and saw Aunt Hwasa waddling over to them in a big padded jacket, trying not to slip in her high heels. While Mark was busy trying to refill his lungs, Donghyuk giggled over him, which quickly turned into an all-out, full-body laugh. Mark snickered as well when he had enough air to do so. Donghyuk laid his forehead on Mark’s chest, body shaking with the force of his joy. Mark wasn’t even sure what they were laughing about, but it felt good.

“I’m really sorry, Mark and, uh, fiancé. Here, give me your hand.”

Mark groaned when Donghyuk’s weight was finally lifted off of him and he was able to sit up. Hwasa dusted the snow off both of them when they got back on their feet. 

“You scared the fuck out of me,” Donghyuk breathed, hand clutched over his heart as he came down from laughing. 

“I know, I know. I just got excited. Have I apologized enough?”

“How long have you been there, Auntie?” Mark asked. Realization dawned on him now that he had enough oxygen for his brain to function again. The same realization seemed to pass over Donghyuk, eyes going wide.

She shoved her hands back in the pockets of her huge jacket. “The whole time. I heard the whole thing.”

Mark closed his eyes for a second and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fuck. Look, you can’t tell anyone, okay?” 

Hwasa made a face. “Who do you think I am? I won’t snitch on you. I don’t give a fuck about any of that will crap. I’m just happy because I was right. I knew you two were acting from the start. You fuckers.” She cackled, pointing at Mark. Donghyuk looked to Mark, as if asking what to do, but Mark was just about to give  _ him  _ the same look! “You guys… You, okay, you did have me there for a while though. Near the end there it was getting hard to tell. I saw your little snowball fight and then heard about your romantic horseback ride from Jaehyun. You had me second guessing myself, I will admit.”

“I’ll take it as a compliment,” Donghyuk said, shrugging.

“Yeah, you’re a good actor. Mark is the one who sucks.”

“Fine. I admit it,” Mark relented, too drained to try to defend himself anymore.

“Yeah, but you got real good there at the end. I saw you two at the start of the party and I must admit, that was some pretty good stuff, Mark.” 

Again, Mark had not been acting. This was becoming a recurring theme. Probably because Mark didn’t need to act. Donghyuk just… made him feel like that.

“Anyway, since you’re out here, you guys wanna smoke?”

Mark perked up at that. “You have weed?”

“Yeah, what the fuck else would I be doing out here in the freezing cold?” She pulled out a vaporizer pen. It matched her long red nails.

“Holy shit, oh my god. Aunt Hwasa, you have no idea how bad I need this,” Mark said like a man seeing an oasis in a desert. “You were always my favorite aunt.”

Donghyuk shook his head with a chuckle, shoulders hunched against the cold.

She laughed and handed it over. “Come join me. I got a little fire and everything. You guys can stay as long as you want. My dad's parties suck anyway. Maybe fill me in on what I missed. All that crying has got me curious.” Sure enough, she had turned on one of the outdoor gas fire pits, a few of the patio chairs already pulled up to its heat. 

In his eagerness, Mark took a hit from the pen that was a little too much and the marijuana took its vengeance by clawing its way down his throat, making him cough. He handed it to Donghyuk, forgetting to ask if he smoked or wanted to. He wasn’t even surprised when the man took the hit like a pro, making Mark look stupid. 

Donghyuk turned his back to the fire to presumably warm his butt, shivering hard. As soon as Mark sat down in one of the cold metal chairs, though, Donghyuk sat right on his lap with his toasty butt. 

“I’m cold,” he said as a primitive defense, expecting Mark to resist. He didn’t. He was too exhausted to put up his act of hating skinship, and it was cold and Donghyuk was warm and willing. 

Instead, he tucked Donghyuk closer. He wrapped his arms around his waist and let the younger lay back into him so Mark could tuck his chin over his shoulder. Donghyuk hummed, pliant like dough in his arms.

Aunt Hwasa watched them with a little knowing grin, breathing out smoke long and slow. She handed the pen back to them. Mark took a few draws this time, trying to get at least a little bit of a high before he’d inevitably have to go back inside.

“I don’t remember you smoking when you were younger,” Hwasa noted, warming her hands over the fire.

“Yeah… that was a new development after I left for Seattle. My friend, Jaemin, is like a huge stoner. I only do it when I’m bored though. The head trip messes with me when I’m trying to be productive,” Mark said, already oversharing. He talked a lot of nonsense when he got high.

“Really?” Donghyuk turned a little, trying to glance at him. It put their faces way too close together, though, so Mark looked away. “It helps me be productive, personally. Sounds like you got the short end of the stick genetically, ha!”

“Everything is an opportunity to make fun of me, huh?”

“Only because you’re easy to make fun of.” Donghyuk grinned at him, still too close. Mark was blushing.

“You guys are cute. Are you actually dating or something?” Hwasa asked out of the blue.

“No!”

“No…” Donghyuk was slower to answer.

They looked away from each other and Mark swallowed. 

“My bad,” Hwasa said with a shake of her head, not believing them. She made grabby hands for the pen and Donghyuk handed it back to her. “So what happened at the party, Mark-ie?” 

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Oh come on, you do though.” She just got comfortable in her chair, sure she was right. Hwasa was always good at reading people. “So let’s hear it. Now is the time to vent. I give you permission.” 

“I’m curious too, honestly,” Donghyuk added, laying his arms over the ones Mark had still hugging his waist, fingers brushing his. 

Cold air stung his lungs as he sighed. “I fucking hate Hal-aboeji.” 

“Strong right out the gate. Exciting,” Hwasa commentated.

“I just… Is it too much to ask for him to support me doing what I want? Why does it have to be business or law or politics? Why  _ can't  _ I just play the guitar? I never fucking got it. Love should be unconditional—without strict rules, I have to follow. Yet his love is so _ conditional  _ that I have to cut myself to pieces to even fit in his fucking little mold. I literally did that for so long that I didn’t even know who I was for most of my life. Like I was whittled down to my bones. Even now I still… I still fucking question it. Even after four years, I worry if I’m even being my genuine self, because before that I never got the chance to ever grow as a person naturally. I’ve pretty much been playing a part my whole life—until recently. Still, I… I don’t even know who I am sometimes.”

Mark hid his face in Donghyuk’s shoulder. That only succeeded in hiding the tears collecting in his eyes, not the shakiness of his voice. “I desperately need money, so when I heard I might be able to get back into his will, I thought I could play the part again, like I used to, but—I don’t know—I guess I’ve just grown too much. I just can’t fit into his mold anymore. That hurt the most, I think. Just the realization that I can never go back… It scares me.”

Aunt Hwasa whistled. “God, he’s really fucked us all up bad, hasn’t he?” She took another drag from the pen, scowling. “Your growth is good though, means he can’t control you anymore. I mean, Mark, what you're talking about is trauma. He traumatized you. That shit takes time to work through—longer than just four years.”

“Yeah. I know. Ugh, being here isn’t fucking helping either,” Mark grumbled, sniffling as he tried to hold it in. The pads of Donghyuk’s fingers brushed over his knuckles, just the feather of a comforting touch. “Anyway, uh, so I don’t know, when he asked me to bow I… I just couldn’t do it. I think it all came back to me. Being away from him let me realize how unfair his love was, because now  _ I know  _ what it's like to be loved unconditionally. I know, and I know I deserve it regardless of my net worth or whatever. I just… I wanted him to love me that way  _ so badly _ that I guess it tore me up all over again when he didn’t. I wanted his acceptance so badly but I need to accept the fact that I’ll  _ never  _ get his approval—all just because I want to be myself. That’s not fair. That’s not my fault. I just needed a reminder that he was the one in the wrong, not me,” Mark said, venom seeping into his words as all the emotions of the night washed back over him. “I wish it was different, though, ya know?”

“We all just want to be loved,” Donghyuk added quietly, eyes staring off into the distance.

“I… Mm.” Mark’s voice quivered as a sob escaped him, burying himself deeper into Donghyuk as his chest tried to collapse in on itself. His heart felt like it was going to tear open and spill its contents all over the snowy ground.

Donghyuk turned in his lap so he could pull Mark into a hug, stroking his hair. Mark leaned into it, trying to breathe through the sobs that wracked him. It was years of baggage that he just couldn’t pack away again now. It was all out and raw and it  _ hurt _ .

But Donghyuk’s fingers were in his hair… that was nice.

“You’re so good at giving hugs,” he said before he got choked up again. He laughed at himself, listening to the way his voice shook. “I sound so pathetic, I’m sorry.” Mark sniffled, sucking in deep breaths. “Who cries like that? Fuck. I’m sorry.”

Donghyuk laughed, fingers kneading at the base of his head. “You’re going through it you dumbass, don’t apologize. I feel like a leaf will fall off a tree and you’d apologize for it. My god.”

Mark’s laugh sounded more like a wheeze or a gasp. “I hate crying in front of people, sorry—I mean,” he winced, “I’m not sorry?”

“You’re hopeless!” Donghyuk wailed overdramatically, clutching his head.

“He really is,” Aunt Hwasa mumbled, staring deep into the flames.

“I know.” Mark went to wipe his face down but Donghyuk beat him to it, materializing a handkerchief out of nowhere. As he leaned over Mark, running the handkerchief over his cheek, the fire lit up the side of his face, flickering over his soft features and sparkly makeup. Despite everything, Mark’s heart fluttered. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Because I want to be.”

“Why though? We’re practically strangers.” Mark pouted as he said that, ears straining in anticipation of Donghyuk’s answer. God he’s a mess, why was he worrying about this  _ now _ ?

“We skipped the normal stuff, but I’ve seen you naked, let you cry on me, and kissed you. So I would say we’re  _ at least _ friends now, Mark.” There was that sass that Mark had gotten used to. He tried not to smile too much.

“Fair.”

“You want another hit?” Donghyuk offered the pen to him. 

Mark took it wordlessly and tried not to blow it right into Donghyuk’s face. He had no idea how he was going to go back inside. The thought was still too scary. His solution: more weed.

“Fuck. I’m definitely not getting into his will, am I?” 

Donghyuk barked out a laugh. “Not a fucking chance.”

Mark’s face hurt from smiling as he grinned again, shaking his head. “I must be stupid.”

“Oh shut up. Your grandpa’s the stupid one.” Donghyuk whacked him softly on the shoulder, smiling down at him. His lips looked extra glossy with the reflection of the fire in them. 

From next to them came: “You guys should date.”

“Seriously, Aunt Hwasa?” Mark rolled his eyes, their little moment ruined.

She shrugged, putting her hands up innocently. “I’m just stating how I’m seeing it. I mean when was the last time you dated someone? Wasn’t your last partner a girl? God, it must have been ages ago then…”

“Auntie!” 

“So uptight…” she mumbled, crossing her arms. In the silence, an idea must have come to her, because her face lit up. “Oh, uh, holy shit I don’t remember your name I’m so sorry—”

“Hae—Donghyuk. Donghyuk is my name,” Donghyuk supplied. 

“—Donghyuk, have you heard about Mark’s band yet? I feel like I need to show you his songs. Feels like an embarrassing aunt thing to do right about now.”

“Oh my god, because it _ is _ ,” Mark groaned. They were just teasing him to make him feel better, and it sucked because it was working. Mark  _ was _ easy to tease.

“Aunt Hwasa, I actually have  _ not  _ heard any of his songs, no,” Donghyuk said happily, getting comfortable again on Mark’s lap. 

“Is this your way of trying to get me to feel better? Because it’s not working,” he lied. Mark watched in horror as Aunt Hwasa actually put on one of his songs, and it wasn’t even a good one! “This one is so old…”

“I like this one though!” Aunt Hwasa scolded, turning it up. 

Mark was silenced by that statement. Because, wow, someone in his family had been silently supporting him this whole time. It kind of made sense it was his weird aunt though. They were, in many ways, cut from the same cloth. Two outcast, traumatized peas in a pod. 

Donghyuk laid his head on Mark’s shoulder and closed his eyes, listening to the song. It was one of their slower, more indie ones. The lyrics were cheesy as all hell, but they were honest and raw. Mark had written this one. 

“I think your dad would have liked your songs. Kihyun was a good guy,” Aunt Hwasa said, spacing out again. The high was starting to settle into all of them, just a fuzzy warmth behind the eyes. 

“You’re gonna make me cry again,” Mark warned. 

“Oops. Uh, how’s your mom doing these days?”

“Distant. She was never the same after dad died, anyway.”

“She makes for a shitty mom as well as sister,” Aunt Hwasa said point-blank before grinning a little. “When I was a kid she was already in her teens and she used to put my toys in places I couldn’t reach. I never forgave her for it.” 

They all chuckled. 

“Whatever. She wouldn’t talk to me for like a year after I ran away so I sort of had to find my own family,” Mark said, drawing circles on Donghyuk’s hip and staring into the dancing fire. “If I can't fit into my family, I’ll just build my own.”

“That’s the spirit.” She gave him a thumbs up.

The last chorus of the song came around, the drums crashing together and vocals swelling. “This is actually Renjun singing. He’s our only vocalist, but he carries every song. Sometimes our friend Chenle sings for us as well. None of the rest of us can fucking sing for shit, though.” 

“I can sing,” Donghyuk whispered. Donghyuk had been eerily silent for a while so Mark almost forgot he was there, despite the fact he was still sitting in his lap. 

Mark raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah, I’ve been in choir programs all my life. I’m always the king of karaoke back in Korea. A legend amongst my Korean friends.”

“You’re full of surprises.”

“I am a very unique individual with many talents if you haven’t noticed.” There wasn’t an ounce of sarcasm, just pure unadulterated confidence. Donghyuk absolutely deserved every ounce of that confidence in Mark’s opinion. Mark had never met someone quite like him before.

The song ended.

~•❧•~

  
  


“I’m freezing my tits off. I’m going to go back inside.” Hwasa announced, stretching out her limbs with a groan. “Give the pen back later. You need it more than me right now. It was nice meeting you Donghyuk. It’s your job to make sure Mark gets to bed at a reasonable time, okay?”

“No promises~,” Donghyuk said as a reflex.

“Thanks, Hwasa,” Mark called.

She smiled and gave them a curt goodbye salute with two fingers. Swing music drifted out the open door before disappearing again when it shut behind her. 

Honestly, Donghyuk was also freezing. He didn’t want to say anything though, because Mark was wrapped around him so perfectly. Donghyuk knew he was sort of taking advantage of Mark, with his current mental state and what not, but he couldn’t bring himself to peel away from the man. Mark wasn’t complaining either so...

God, maybe he should have asked Hwasa to give him her coat as well. He was gonna start shivering again. The weed was not enough to keep his blood from freezing, but maybe if he took enough he wouldn’t notice.

Donghyuk blew smoke out of his nose, coughing once before holding the pen to Mark’s lips for him to take a hit as well. “I’m not too heavy am I?” Donghyuk asked, rolling his head over to look at Mark, still resting it on his shoulder. Mark didn’t seem like the type to complain when he was uncomfortable.

“Not at all. You’re perfect... Warm.” Mark’s voice was muffled, busy burying his cold face in Donghyuk’s neck. Donghyuk smiled to himself, a thrill going through him at the contact. He felt the high now, in the way his skin prickled and his mind got blurry around the edges. Mark’s lips ghosted over his neck as he talked, making goosebumps break out over his skin. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Oh are we playing the questions game again? You ask one, I ask one?”

“No. I don’t wanna talk. I just want to hear about you.”

Donghyuk barked out a laugh. “Cute!” he squealed in Korean.

Mark groaned, pushing his face into his neck more as if to hide. “I’m not the cute one. You are.”

“Oh jeez, okay, you’ve had too much. No more weed for you.” He pocketed the pen.

Mark rolled his eyes, pulling his face away from Donghyuk’s neck. “I’m not  _ that _ high.”

“Well something’s wrong with you. If you compliment me again I’m going to have to call the police. ‘Officer, I don’t know who this man is!’”

“Forget it.” Mark let his heavy head fall back into the space where Donghyuk’s neck met his shoulders. 

“No! Ask your question! I’m sorry,” Donghyuk whined, miming zipping his lips shut and throwing out the key. He wanted to hear what this new less-filtered Mark had to say. Mark snickered, pinching Donghyuk in the side. He jolted, trying to fight back a smile. 

After a moment Mark finally spit it out. “How did you get into this line of work?”

Fuck. Why that question out of all the things he could have asked? Donghyuk could lie. He’d already tried to tell Mark once and been interrupted by Hwasa, which could easily have been a sign from the universe for him to keep his trap shut. If he told Mark the truth, would he resent him for lying and taking advantage of him? Donghyuk really didn’t want Mark to hate him. Which was ridiculous, he shouldn’t care… but he did.

Dammit, how did Donghyuk end up liking Mark? Mark wasn’t even cool! Okay he was a _ little  _ cool when he told his grandpa to shove it, but that's besides the point! Despite his painful awkwardness, he still managed to make Donghyuk’s stone cold heart race. It was embarrassing. 

Donghyuk should lie. He  _ should _ , but he didn’t want to. Not to Mark. 

“This was my first time ever being a SO-for-hire.” It came out quiet, as if he was subconsciously trying to keep Mark from hearing it. Donghyuk’s heart was thumping in his ear and he hoped Mark couldn’t hear it.

He felt Mark’s brows furrow before he lifted his head back up. 

“You said you were a professional?” Mark sounded confused, voice thin.

Donghyuk looked away, gnawing on his bottom lip. “I lied. I’m sorry. I… I needed the money. Renjun told me about it, and it sounded like a pretty easy job and—”

“Renjun set it all up?” 

“Yeah. We’re friends. We met through the drama club at university. He said he was mad at you for ruining a gig or something, so as revenge...”

“Oh, I see.” Donghyuk couldn’t read what Mark was feeling, voice flat and eyes unfocused. How scary when he’d always been able to tell. 

“I didn’t want to take advantage of you, but I’m late on rent again and you were offering so much… I’m really sorry, Mark. If I’d known how much this all meant to you, I wouldn’t have done it. I was just being greedy.” 

Mark hummed a little. “Why tell me now?” 

“Because I want to and I don’t see you like an opportunity or whatever now. You don’t deserve to be lied to.”

Mark’s fingers dug into his side, verging on painful, before they let up again. He sighed. “Okay.”

Donghyuk sat up. “Just ‘okay’? I just told you I lied to you this whole time and you only say ‘okay’? Aren’t you mad?”

Mark shrugged. “Not really… I mean I just did the  _ exact same _ thing for the same reasons to my family, but worse. So I'd kind of be a hypocrite. Plus, you’re telling me now so whatever. I appreciate the honesty.”

“Mark, you’re such a pushover. You should yell at me!”

“I don’t want to,” Mark said in a little sing-song, lips turned up into a goofy grin as he looked up at him. 

“Why are you  _ smiling _ ? Oh my god.” He put his face in his hands to hide his own smile. Donghyuk didn’t want to reveal just how relieved he felt. The lie had started to become heavier and heavier the more Donghyuk had gotten invested in Mark, and now that it was gone… Fuck it felt so good. 

“Fine. Your punishment is to, um... tell me all the personal stuff you refused to tell me so far,” Mark decided. “And you have to lay back down. I’m getting cold.” 

Donghyuk was also getting more chilled without Mark’s warmth, so he complied and curled back up. “What kind of stuff?” 

“What kind of life do you live? For a while you made me think you were a high roller who’s flying all over the country to do jobs like this.”

“I wish… No, I’m just a college student. I go to the University of Seattle, same as Renjun. I’m the oldest in my family here, since my older brother lives back in Korea with my dad still. I took the job cause, well, okay. Let me explain. I don’t want my younger sisters to have to worry about paying for their education, so I decided to leave all the college funds to them and pay for my education myself. I have a few scholarships, but they don't cover my rent and all my class expenses.” 

“I’m sure your sisters love you a lot.”

“You’d think… They’re a pair of little monsters though.”

“That’s just how younger siblings are.”

“You  _ are  _ the younger sibling, what would you know?”

“Well since I was a younger sibling, I know we’re only annoying out of love.”

“Doesn’t make it any less annoying.”

Mark snickered. A crash came from within the house and then laughing. They ignored it.

“What do you major in?”

“Business.”

Mark laughed, before realizing he was serious. “Wait, really? Why? You don’t seem like a numbers kind of person.”

“I’m not. It’s been hellish. I need something that's gonna make money, though. I don’t want to have to worry about it anymore. And, I don’t want my mom to have to keep working either…” There was a pause.

“I shouldn’t have told Hal-aboeji to shove it. Maybe I’d have been able to give you those two extra zeros...” Mark mumbled, guilt written clearly in the pinch of his brows. 

“Don’t even start with that, holy shit. I’m not gonna say anything else if you’re gonna start pitying me or something. I hate pity.” Donghyuk crossed his arms stubbornly.

“Sorry.” Mark pouted. 

“I… I don’t want any of your money anymore, either. I’ve decided.”

“Donghyuk, what? Didn’t you only come here for the money? Let me at least pay you that.”

“I don’t want it. I won’t accept it.”

“Why though? Didn’t you just say you needed money? You’ve done more than what I asked for. It’s my fault I'm not getting in the will, not yours.”

“I don’t want money you don’t even have. I don’t  _ need _ money from you either. My life isn’t that hard, okay? I’ve been doing just fine until recently! I had a steady job and was never late on any of my payments. I’m passing all my classes and everything, thank you very much. I’m even minoring in dance! Because I like it and I’m good at it! So don’t even think about feeling bad for me.”

Mark made a little noise.

“My job just let me go at a really bad time is all. I thought this would be a way to make some quick cash. I can find another job just fine.”

“Okay. Okay. I get it. I… I guess I won’t pay you.” He sounded sorry about it, but Donghyuk could see the way his shoulders relaxed. 

“Good.” He knew Mark didn’t have the money. Plus, there was no way, after all that crying, that Donghyuk could accept a penny of this man's money in good conscience. He didn’t want Mark to think he was using him. Donghyuk was better than that. Accepting this job had been wrong, and he couldn’t take back his bad intentions, but he could turn down the cash. It was the least he could do.

“Thanks, Donghyuk. You really are a good guy, you know?” Mark hugged him from behind. “You just took away so much of my stress, though, for real. I could not afford any of this. I was delusional if I thought I was ever getting into the will. Ugh, but… I mean, I really feel bad flying you out here and not giving you anything.”

“Oh whatever. This weekend was a gift enough. I’ll never forget it. I mean  _ what an experience _ .” They both giggled a little. “So don’t feel bad.”

“If you say so...”

“You paid more than enough with your mental state. You poor guy.” Donghyuk reached behind him to pat Mark’s cheek blindly, accidentally poking him in the eye once. Mark just groaned sadly, agreeing with him. 

The fire jumped up for a moment and Donghyuk let out a long breath. He uncrossed his arms finally. They both zoned out, hypnotized by the way the flames waltzed around the little rocks. “Fuck, I’m high,” Donghyuk said after he realized they’d been dead quiet for what could either have been a minute or a whole hour. 

“Yeah, me too. At least I don’t feel anxious anymore.” Mark let out a long sigh. “I think I’m okay to go back inside.”

“You sure?” Donghyuk couldn’t get the image of Mark’s face when he was talking to his grandpa out of his head. Donghyuk would have run away by now if he was Mark. He was so much braver than Donghyuk ever could be. 

Mark just nodded mutely, trying to get up.

Donghyuk climbed off his lap, relieved when he felt fine even standing. He wasn’t as high as he’d thought then. Just enough to take the edge off and maybe have some fun. He checked his makeup in the camera of his phone as Mark tried to figure out how to turn off the fire pit. It was a little smudged, but with some spit and a careful finger Donghyuk got it back to looking decent enough. 

“You still look stunning. Let’s go before I change my mind.” Mark grabbed his wrist and steered them toward the door. Donghyuk pulled out his arm enough so they could hold hands instead, lacing their cold fingers together. 

“I take back what I said earlier—you should compliment me more often.” Donghyuk swung their hands, leaning over to grin at him.

Mark’s ears went red. His cute ears never let him lie, like little alarms that went off whenever he was flustered. It was one of the many things Donghyuk started to find endearing about him. 

The thought made Donghyuk want to kiss him again, and normally he would—he was not someone who hesitated a lot in life—but right now Donghyuk wasn’t so sure where he stood with Mark. Would he get mad at him? 

Mark had pushed him away in the shower after all. Well, Donghyuk knew why now; Mark had thought him to be a gold digger. He would be lying if he said that that didn’t kind of hurt, but he supposed he easily could be one. Honestly, maybe he was a fool for  _ not _ being a gold digger. 

Maybe Donghyuk would consider that type of lifestyle once he got back home and they split paths. It was unlikely he’d ever see Mark again after all. The gig was up, the will was out of the question, and the contract was all but nullified now. After this weekend, there was no real reason to keep it up… 

Donghyuk forced the frown off his face when Mark pulled them back inside and right into the press of the crowd. Music and chatter flooded over him the same way the hot air did. Only as his skin burned with the temperature change did he remember how cold he was supposed to be. 

They’d walked right into a ballroom and thus went relatively unnoticed, everyone too busy talking and watching others dance to the mellow swing song being strummed out by the band. 

Donghyuk expected Mark to just take him up to their room, but the man paused mid-stride and turned to the band as they started a new song. To Donghyuk it was another slow one that he didn’t know. Mark, though, was enraptured as a black woman in a sparkly dress started singing. 

“I love this song. It’s At Last by Etta James,” Mark explained, face dancing with excitement. Before Donghyuk could ask what he was thinking, Mark changed their course and pulled them out of the crowd and onto the dance floor. 

“Mark! What are you doing?” He hissed. Mark had just made a huge commotion not even an hour ago, so didn’t he just want to slip through without trouble? People were bound to see them out in the open like this. 

Mark was smiling wide though, eyes sparkling. “Donghyuk,” he said so boldly that Donghyuk nearly ducked down. What was he doing!? They were still playing a part, weren’t they? But Mark didn’t even blink, just stood there, backdropped by the big ballroom and hanging chandeliers, in his expensive suit with his hair a hot mess, hand held out for Donghyuk. “I know it’s literally the worst time,” he said with a shy chuckle, “and maybe it's just the high talking… but I think I would regret it for the rest of my life if I don’t ask you to dance at least once. Not when you got so dressed up. The whole party should see you sparkle.”

Donghyuk’s heart clenched, unable to hide the shock that preceded a deep flush that painted his whole face. He was flattered, really, but he shouldn’t agree, he really shouldn’t, but well… “Now how can I turn down a poetic offer like that?” He cocked an eyebrow, smirk working its way onto his lips as he put his hand in Mark’s. “Since when were you so good with words?”

“I’ve always been good with words. You just make me nervous.”

His heart did something again. 

Donghyuk didn’t have time to process that because as soon as he settled his hands on Mark’s shoulders, Mark quite nearly swept him off his feet. Of course, he  _ should _ have realized that Mark would probably be trained in classical dancing, but it had just never occurred to him before. So when Mark’s hands fell perfectly into place on his waist and he carried them directly into the right steps, spinning them the perfect amount, Donghyuk couldn’t hold back a stunned little breath. 

“You really know how to make a guy's heart flutter, don’t you?” And his heart  _ was  _ fluttering. It had been doing that a lot all day. Since when had their roles reversed?

Mark flushed a little, eyes flicking away as he bit back a smile. 

They slowly spun and swayed their way to the center of the dance floor. Donghyuk silently thanked his past self for taking that one slow dancing class freshman year, because it was saving him some serious embarrassment now. However, Mark, for the first time, was better than Donghyuk. He was leading them through the movements for the most part, hands steady. 

Confidence was a good look on him. 

Donghyuk took a step closer and Mark let him. He laid his head on Mark’s shoulder, looking out into the crowd that gently spun around them. Now close enough, He realized Mark was humming along. He listened to the lyrics, closing his eyes to really take it in.

_ Oh, yeah, yeah, at last _

_ The skies above are blue _

_ My heart was wrapped up in clover _

_ The night I looked at you _

_ And I found a dream that I could speak to _

_ A dream that I can call my own _

_ I found a thrill to press my cheek to _

_ A thrill that I have never known _

He smiled, wrapping his arms around Mark’s neck and trusting him to carry them through the steps. It was a good song, he decided. He liked it because Mark did. As he listened, he couldn’t help wondering if it made Mark think of Donghyuk the way it made Donghyuk think of him. He was warm all over, wrapped in Mark’s arms, as he thought about it. 

God, the weed was making him sappy, Donghyuk decided. 

Just as he started getting into it, the song ended. They stopped abruptly and Donghyuk pulled back a little. Was it over already? 

“Donghyuk…”

He looked up, meeting a pointed gaze. “Yes?”

“Why did you make a move on me in the shower?” 

Donghyuk sucked in a breath. “Wow, what a way to put someone on the spot.” He looked away as he chuckled awkwardly, biting down on his bottom lip. It was a hard question because, well, Donghyuk had thought he’d done it because Mark was hot, but now… Again, he was at a crossroads: tell Mark the truth and risk scaring him off, or keep it all in and hope maybe they could dance together  _ just one more time _ before likely never seeing him again. 

His heart was so loud he couldn’t tell what song was playing next. They stood still amongst the flow of the dancing crowd, stuck to the floor by the binding silence between them. Why did everything good have to end so soon?

“I couldn’t help it,” he said at last, letting it out in one breath. He flicked his eyes back to Mark’s only to find them still staring back at him. His handsome face was nothing but soft and welcoming, just... waiting patiently. He was so charming, his kindness surely his greatest virtue. Donghyuk didn’t know if anyone like that could ever like someone like him. But god, he hoped so. “I know we’re engaged,” he joked before he could help it, “but I think I like you.”

His chest was tight with anxiety, insides queasy. He didn’t even know when the last time anyone made him feel like that was. Maybe it was because normally he’d never even consider dating someone like Mark, someone  _ actually _ kind. Someone so good that it would crush him if this feeling burning inside him wasn’t recuperated.

“Say something,” Donghyuk added when Mark just blinked, either stunned or scared, he couldn’t tell. He curled his fingers in Mark’s suit. He wasn’t made to be vulnerable with people and he’d just handed Mark his damn heart like an idiot! A high, love-drunk idiot! 

Okay, if he started running now, maybe he could call a taxi back to the airport before Mark could find him and he could— 

Lips pressed to his, and his breath escaped him. 

Mark was so confident, so uncharacteristically  _ sure _ in the way he kissed Donghyuk then, that it nearly made him choke on the pure shock and subsequent brilliant, brilliant euphoria. Mark was kissing him.  _ Mark _ was the one doing the kissing, _ to him _ . Without prompting. 

Mark must like him as well… but of course he did. After all, Mark just couldn’t lie. 

Donghyuk was so happy he might die. Okay that was  _ definitely _ the weed talking.

In a rush, he remembered he needed to kiss back, and just as Mark was about to pull away, Donghyuk surged forward, shoving his hands into his hair and slamming them together. Their teeth clanked together and Mark made a little sound, but as soon as they were kissing again it was  _ wonderful _ . 

Lips sliding against each other, they kissed in the middle of the ball room, the music carrying their racing hearts to a gentler rhythm and hands touching each other everywhere, keeping their bodies pressed flush. Donghyuk _ did  _ feel like he was sparkling, just like Mark said he should. 

There was no use to opulence if it was riddled with fictitious lives and ingenuine people. That's why Mark was the only thing Donghyuk cared about in that moment; his richness didn’t come from his wallet, it came from his heart. Mark was the real gem. 

Mark gingerly pulled away and smiled, bumping their foreheads together. “Something,” he said, giddy like a schoolgirl.

“Huh?” Donghyuk furrowed his brows.

“You said to ‘say something’ so…” Mark seemed to realize the idiocy of his own joke as he was forced to explain it. He laughed before he could finish, shaking his head. 

Donghyuk couldn’t help himself and cracked, an ugly snort preceding a squeaky laugh. “That’s the awkward Mark I’ve come to know.” He surprised himself with just how absolutely  _ mushy _ he sounded. Ugh, wow, being in love was so embarrassing. 

“Glad you like awkward Mark, he’s a permanent feature.”

“No more talking in the third-person, please.” Donghyuk held up a hand, pulling a disgusted face. 

That made Mark smile. “Noted.” They stared at each other, content for a long moment, before Mark’s expression faltered a little. “What now?” Mark asked quietly, eyes going wide and worried.

“Oh, good question.” Donghyuk pursed his lips, looking around as he contemplated, trying not to smile too much as it hit him that wow, okay, were they dating? “Why don’t we take it slow? Since this is all happening so fast. We can call this date one! I would consider this a pretty, uh,  _ eventful _ date, after all. The slow dancing was very romantic at least…” Donghyuk was mumbling more the longer he went on. 

Mark nodded though. “On my first date with my fiancé.”

“Yikes.”

They both laughed and then sighed at the same time. Donghyuk let out a puff of happy air before laying his head back on his date's shoulder, swaying to the music. They seemed like they were about to fall back into the rhythm of dancing again when a shout rang out through the ballroom, echoing off the acoustically tuned walls.

“MARK LEE!”

“Johnny?” Mark said quietly, face scrunching. They both turned to the voice and sure enough, they spotted the tall man shoving through the crowd, pointing a threatening finger. Those were the eyes of a man out for blood. “Oh fuck,  _ Johnny _ .”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song rec for just the first lil scene: [A Litte Party Never Killed Nobody](1mz9ZrRYu3EPVg9ZHFtjjf)

_“MARK LEE!”_

That can’t be good. “Come on!” Donghyuk grabbed Mark’s wrist and yanked him out of his stupor. He shoved Mark’s head down, trying to duck as they weaved through the crowd as fast as they could. People protested, surprised yelps and curses following them like a tracking device as they pushed aside women in chic ball gowns and tuxedo-clad men. 

“MARK! COME BACK HERE!” 

“I’m so dead,” Mark cried, biting down on his lip and looking over his shoulder.

“Not if we lose him!” Donghyuk yelled back, pulling on his wrist and picking up the pace. They were out in the hall now and the floor started to open up. They weaved quicker and soon they were out of the thick of it, and Donghyuk leaned into a full-out sprint. Thank god he hadn’t worn shoes with too big heels.

Donghyuk might not be that strong, but he was fast and agile. Keeping Mark clutched firmly in his grasp they ran as fast as they could manage down the hall. People yelped in surprise as they shot past, accidentally knocking a few crystal glasses to the floor, breaking and spilling their contents onto the expensive rugs in the process.

Donghyuk took a second to look over his shoulder and swore. Johnny wasn’t that far behind. Only lagging a little because he was trying to be more polite about it, apologizing here and there, when he shoved people aside. Johnny was like a rhino as he barreled toward them, six feet of muscle and rage barely contained in his pinstripe suit. If they were caught Mark might actually be throttled to death! And they’d only just confessed to each other! He wouldn’t allow it. 

This was a code red situation, a life or death chase. Good thing Donghyuk was a pro, the best in his field perhaps, at getting out of any and every situation he’d ever got himself into. A true troublemaker down to the soles of his feet. 

The entry hall finally appeared and Donghyuk took a sharp turn, nearly skidding on the marble floor in his flats. Mark did slip, though, tumbling to the floor. Donghyuk was sure it was over. 

However, by pure chance, Johnny tripped over someone's dress and came crashing down as well. That gave Donghyuk just enough time to backpedal and help Mark up, the man scrambling to his feet. 

“Come on!” he yelled, taking Mark’s hand and steering them towards the stairs. Everyone watched them in shock as they thudded past with reckless abandon. Donghyuk took the steps three at a time, flying up them with Mark in tow. As soon as they got to the top of the tall stairs and Donghyuk hesitated in deciding which way to go, Mark took over. 

Just as they left the landing and were about to disappear behind a wall, Johnny skidded into the entrance hall below, unfortunately just barely spotting them. From behind them, echoing off the walls, came Johny’s booming voice: “YOU'RE DEAD!” 

Mark swore, glancing in open doors of rooms as they shot by at lightning speed. Donghyuk hadn’t been in this part of the house, so he was useless. They turned a corner and to Donghyuk’s glee the hallway continued. “Your house is so fucking big!” he whispered as they stopped for a second, Mark whipping his head this way and that as if trying to get his bearings.

“Oh!” Mark snapped his fingers and pointed ahead. “This way.” Mark tugged him along, their pace a little slower now as Mark took more time to check each room. 

“He’s gonna catch up!” Donghyuk hissed, looking over his shoulder as Mark checked a door. The lock clicked and Mark looked at him, eyes wide. Donghyuk growled and pushed past him to open the door, yanking him inside and then slowly, carefully closing it behind him. Just as he did, he started hearing Johnny’s thundering footsteps coming down the hall. 

Shit! There was no lock. Donghyuk was looking around for something to put in front of the door when Mark grabbed him and dragged him deeper into the room.

That's when he noticed what type of room they were in. Similar to a presidential suit, this luxury bedroom had an entrance area with a little statue in its circular center. From the entrance room there was an offshoot for a bathroom, a balcony, and then the bedroom itself. Mark swiftly pulled him into the bedroom, crouched down slightly and looking around cautiously. Even under the veil of nearly absolute darkness, he could make out the massive king sized bed and an arrangement of furniture that dotted the spacious room.

Donghyuk saw a door on the wall and reasoned that must be the closet, so he tried to tug Mark that way, but Mark shook his head. He pointed at the bed and Donghyuk threw up his hands, confused. Mark rolled his eyes and just tugged him along. He pulled up the little curtain along the bottom of the bed to reveal the space between the bed and the floor. It was not that big. 

Donghyuk shook his head, Mark nodded his. ‘Get in’ he mouthed, pointing furiously. 

Just then, they heard a thud and Johnny’s livid voice from somewhere nearby.

Donghyuk got under the bed. 

His back just barely brushed on the bottom of the bed frame as he shimmied into the space, Mark following. As soon as they were under, Donghyuk stilled and they both tried to calm their absolutely ragged breath.

Donghyuk tried not to think too much about the years of dust he was lying on, instead squeezing his eyes shut to put all his focus on listening. Just beyond their breathing he could make out Johnny’s footsteps, a little too clearly for comfort. It seemed he’d slowed down, pacing almost. 

“MARK!”

Mark flinched, face pulled into a grimace.

“LETS GET IT OVER WITH. YOU’LL HAVE TO COME OUT EVENTUALLY!”

“Scary…” Donghyuk hissed and Mark shushed him. 

Johnny’s footsteps grew louder and they both held their breath as he walked right by the door of their room. They let it out when it grew quieter, hearing a few doors open down the hall, only to clamp their mouths shut again when he circled back suddenly. 

There was a thin, thin sliver of the room Donghyuk could see from under the curtains if he pressed himself to the ground. Peering out of it, eyes better adjusted to the dark now, he watched in horror as the doorknob turned. The door creaked open. Donghyuk’s heart sounded like a drum. Johnny stepped in, face red and fists clenched. He flicked on the light, making Donghyuk blink, before peering through the room and taking his time to scan every corner. 

Donghyuk’s eyes went wide when Johnny looked down at the floor beneath him, bent down and examined a skid mark from one of their shoes. 

It was over! This was it! At only twenty-one, Donghyuk was going to die! ...and he hadn’t ever even been to a Beyoncé concert!

He nearly jumped when Johnny suddenly looked up toward the bedroom. Had he heard the thundering of their hearts? Or maybe he smelled the fear wafting off them like he was some sort of bloodhound. Either way, Johnny looked _right_ at the bed. 

  
  


~•❧•~

  
  


Mark should have gone to church more often. He used to be such a good Christian boy. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d stepped through a chapel's doors. If he died now, there was no way he was getting through those pearly gates. 

And he was going to die. There was no question about it. If Johnny didn’t slap him into the next year then he was definitely going to yell at Mark in front of the entire party of people. Or maybe just his family. Mark didn’t know which was worse, but regardless, he knew his soul would shrivel up and perish if he had to sit through another lecture from an angry Johnny. In the past, he’d had to kneel and put his hands over his head and listen to Johnny talk down to him for five hours while his grandpa scowled at him. 

Just thinking about it made him want to cry. 

He should accept it though, because he swore Johnny was staring straight into Mark’s eyes, hand still feeling over the skid mark and poised like an animal about to pounce. There was no way he didn’t see them. 

“Johnny.”

Mark’s eyes flicked to the door. There was Jaehyun, looking nice in his button-up, also panting. 

“Hal-aboeji said to come back. He doesn’t like the commotion. He’ll punish Mark later, probably tomorrow morning. For now, let’s just watch the ball drop, John. I’m sure you scared your brother shitless enough already.” Jaehyun really was Mark’s knight in shining armor! 

Johnny scowled, looking around the room once again before standing up. He rubbed off the skid mark with his own shoe and then sighed. “Fine.”

He didn’t see them! Mark had to resist sighing in relief, holding it in until the lights flicked off, the door closed, and the padding of their feet faded. They both let out long breaths and Donghyuk laid his head down on the floor.

“I’m sucking Jaehyun’s dick so good. That man deserves the best head of his life!” Donghyuk hissed, giggling. 

Mark shoved him but he couldn’t help giggling as well. “I can’t believe hiding worked.” 

“Well most of the time it wouldn’t, but your house is so freakishly big—Help me out, I think I’m stuck.” After some wiggling and pulling they both slid out from under the bed and onto the marble floor, flopping down with a huff. Donghyuk whined, brushing dust off his front with a disgusted cry. 

Mark rolled his eyes. “It’s just a little dust.”

“It’s _so_ much dust! What do you mean!” 

Mark shushed him and Donghyuk sealed his lips, looking guilty. “We should keep it down for a while. Just in case.” 

Donghyuk nodded, going back to silently grimacing and shaking himself off. Mark laughed, picking out a clump of dust from Donghyuk’s hair. He soon found it hard to stop though, giggling so hard he had to put a hand out to support himself.

“What’s so funny?” Donghyuk asked, the smile showing in his voice. 

Mark just shook his head, laugh going squeaky as he spiraled more and more into a fit of laughter. Donghyuk started snickering as well. Mark was still high enough that he couldn’t tell if the situation was funny or if he was just relieved. Maybe both. 

“I almost started praying,” Mark admitted, making himself laugh harder. It wasn’t even funny. Donghyuk’s shoulders shook as well, mouth open in a silent laugh. Donghyuk shoved him and the two sat there, giggling on the floor like a couple of fools. 

Mark was just so _happy_ that he couldn’t contain it. Which was probably insane. He should still be crying or something. It must be the adrenaline and weed, but he really did feel good. For the first time in a while he finally knew what he wanted, and what he didn’t. 

Right now, all he could think about was Donghyuk though. He still couldn’t believe Donghyuk actually liked him. It made his head spin when he tried to understand it. He was way out of Mark’s league. He didn’t know what the man saw in him. Donghyuk was just so amazing and now he got to have him all to himself? Got to learn more about him? Kiss him? Mark might faint.

Oh no wait, he really was getting lightheaded. He sucked in a breath and forced himself to stop laughing, blinking. He’d forgotten to breathe, too busy rolling around the floor. He had to resist laughing again at how ridiculous that was. 

Coming down from the adrenaline rush had the high coming back in full force. It was a nice feeling, and it made his body loose and mind free of worry. He was just here, in the present, and nothing else mattered. Nothing but him and Donghyuk.

Once he felt okay again, he looked to his fiancé—no, his date? His boyfriend? Donghyuk was finally done brushing himself off, still looking like a million dollars even after their Mission Impossible-style escape. He could walk a runway right now. Yet he was frowning at his shirt. 

“I’ll have to apologize to Taeyong, the dust isn’t coming out of the lace…” He was talking to himself, a pout on his heavy lips. 

“Just take it off then,” Mark mumbled, finally brushing the dust off his own pants. Donghyuk gaped at him and Mark raised a confused brow before it dawned on him. “I-I meant like, you can get the dust out later, but if it's bothering you now then… yeah.”

Mark didn’t like the way Donghyuk was looking at him, lips curled dangerously and black eyes glistening. He just hummed along to what Mark said. Ah, there was that hair-raising sensation again. 

He’d better escape quick. He got to his feet and offered his hand to help Donghyuk up. The man took his hand, but when he stood, he yanked Mark toward him and wrapped an arm around his waist, holding them flush together. 

Donghyuk kissed him.

It was quick and before Mark knew it, it was over. He would have complained but then Donghyuk _smiled_ , one of those good smiles that wrinkled his eyes and showed his gums. With his face framed by the moonlight, Mark thought he was stunning. It looked like they were at the bottom of a pool, the pale brightness rippling over the soft planes of his skin as the curtains flowed. The AC was blasting, but Mark didn’t feel cold at all. He felt hot all over in his boyfriend’s arms.

Donghyuk guided his hands down and then around his lower back, where Mark felt buttons. “Unbutton me?” He looked at Mark through his eyelashes. 

“Right here? I mean, uh, yeah okay.” He swallowed. Donghyuk grinned, wrapping his arms around his neck and leaning on him as Mark blindly unhooked button after button, up his back. They went all the way along his spine and up to the high collar of the shirt, underneath which was the soft expanse of skin. Mark’s fingers skated over his back and he felt Donghyuk tense up a little.

He was sure Donghyuk could hear his heart thumping, face buried in his neck. 

Mark popped the last button at the nape of his neck and Donghyuk let his arms fall from around him, slipping off the shirt. Mark petted a hand down the side of his arm, admiring him. 

“You’re really pretty.” 

Donghyuk’s lips quirked back up as he folded the shirt. Wordlessly he flopped back onto the bed, arms dragging along the sheets as he settled in. It reminded Mark of yesterday, when he’d flopped down right onto Mark’s bed like he belonged there. Mark padded over, hips bumping the knees Donghyuk had hanging over the bed. The younger smiled at him, propping himself up on his elbows. His high-waisted pants hugged the small of his waist, accentuating his leanness. 

Mark’s first impression of him still lingered even now. His handsome vixen. 

Mark smiled, crawling onto the bed over him. Donghyuk leaned back and put his hands on Mark, running fingers along the lapels of his suit jacket before yanking him down by them. He gasped out a little, surprised by Donghyuk’s eagerness as the man brought him right into a kiss. 

Unlike the last ones that were loving or passionate, this one was hungry. Mark pushed Donghyuk into the sheets, nipping at his lips and humming when their tongues slid against each other. 

Donghyuk started unbuttoning his shirt and Mark got the hint, having to break the kiss to throw off his jacket and finished removing his shirt. Throwing it all aside, he was about to climb back over when Donghyuk locked his legs around his hips and spun them around. With a hand to steady himself on Mark’s chest, Donghyuk smiled down at him. 

“I like to be on top.”

Mark bit his lip, trying to hold back a moan. That’s hot. “Okay,” he squeaked out. 

Donghyuk slid his hand up Mark’s chest and then around his neck, tipping his head to the side and going in to kiss down his neck. He shivered, unable to help how he twitched at the drag of Donghyuk’s tongue over his skin. He’d always been sensitive, but right now he felt like a live wire. If this was what colliding with the sun felt like, then Mark would gladly burn to a crisp against Donghyuk’s lips.

Mark needed something to do with his hands, so he placed them on Donghyuk’s hips, starting to get excited. Just as he did, Donghyuk ground down on him. “Holy shit,” he bit out. He hadn’t gotten this far with someone in years so he was already almost hard. He might have been embarrassed but he was too distracted by the way Donghyuk rolled his hips again. 

“You’re so cute, all receptive,” Donghyuk whispered, barely dragging his fingers down Mark’s stomach.

He jolted. “Ah, don’t. I’m really ticklish. I’ll start laughing,” he said desperately, grabbing the man's wandering hand.

“Oh, you are?” Donghyuk grinned.

“Don’t, seriously. Dude, come on.” 

“Fine.” Donghyuk rolled his eyes. “Also, ‘dude’?”

“Babe?”

Donghyuk mouthed ‘better’ and caught Mark by surprise when he ground his hips down. Mark’s hands shot back to his hips, trying to slow him down a little as the friction sent little waves of pleasure through him. 

“What happened to taking it slow, Hyuk?” he chuckled.

“This _is_ slow. Normally I’d already have your dick in my mouth.” 

“Fuck.” Mark squeezed his eyes shut, cock jumping. “You can’t just say shit like that!”

“But it makes you so flustered, why would I stop?” Donghyuk’s voice got all low again and he swooped back in, capturing Mark’s lips. He pulled back, and cocked a challenging eyebrow. “Why don’t you _make me_?” 

The déjà vu made Mark’s mouth dry. They’d been here before and Mark had pushed him away. This time, he made sure to pull Donghyuk as close as possible. 

He couldn’t touch enough, couldn’t kiss enough, just couldn’t get enough of Donghyuk. It was all a blur of limbs and tongues and Mark felt like he was flying. All that talk of dick sucking turned out not to be a bluff, Donghyuk was _amazing_. Mark came before he even knew what was happening, hands in Donghyuk hair and a strangled moan leaving his lips. 

Donghyuk took longer to crack since Mark wasn’t as practiced. Donghyuk made sure to make plenty fun of him when he explained he wasn’t very experienced with other guys. Eventually, Mark made the man swallow his words when he figured out that pressing his tongue to the underside of Donghyuk’s cock drove him crazy, and his climax was soon to follow. 

Still high and now blissed-out, they did the minimum to clean up before they cuddled together on top of the sheets naked, taking their time to explore each other's mouths with sluggish kisses. 

Mark, sitting with his head supported by an arm, smiled down at Donghyuk as he played with their fingers. 

“What does the tattoo mean?” Donghyuk asked, running a hand over it.

Mark laughed. “It’s uh, really cheesy.”

“Try me.”

“Fine. It’s a cherry blossom. I know a ton of people have cherry blossom tattoos, so I’m not original at all, but whatever. I got it right after I ran away, so its significance was in just being able to get it more than its actual meaning. This one is similar to the ones all over the estate, the black cherries, but I really like their flowers. They only bloom for a week before dying, so they symbolize the fleeting nature of beauty.”

“Depressing.”

“No. No, it’s a positive thing. Like, since life and beauty are so short, we have to appreciate it as much as possible. It’s beautiful _because_ it’s fleeting. I got it to remind myself to live my life how I want and to really get the most out of it. Cause I only get the one chance.”

Donghyuk sent him a funny little grin.

“Yeah, I know, cheesy.” Mark looked at the tattoo. “I like it though.”

“No, I like it as well! It’s not cheesy if it means a lot to you.”

“You’re the only one who hasn’t thought it was cheesy. The guys made so much fun of me…” He smiled as he reminisced. 

“Well you’ll come to find I’m more than meets the eye.”

“Oh trust me, I know.”

Just then, the entire house erupted into applause. They listened to cheering for a moment, fireworks erupting somewhere nearby. Mark cupped Donghyuk’s jaw. “Happy New Year, _babe_.”

“To new beginnings.” Donghyuk held up an imaginary champagne glass. 

“New beginnings.” They clinked their invisible glasses together. When Mark tried to kiss him, Donghyuk went in for a sneak attack, tickling his side. He squirmed and cried out as Donghyuk held him down and went for his pits. Grinning so much that it hurt, in that moment Mark decided that, despite it all, this was a pretty good New Year’s. 

Now all that was left was escaping Black Cherry Estate.

  
  


~•❧•~

  
  


“Here, put these on.”

“Why?” Mark took the black sunglasses and inspected them with a frown. 

Donghyuk put a hand on his hip, as if Mark had just asked a dumb question. “They’ll make you feel like a bad bitch. It’s all in the head. If you're wearing these, they don’t know where you’re looking. It makes you more cool and intimidating. Just wear them, jeez.”

“Fine, fine.” He slipped them on, waited for a second, and then made a face. “I don’t feel like a bad bitch yet.”

“You’re an idiot.” Donghyuk leveled him with a look before walking away. “Grab your suitcase, let's go.”

“I’m not ready though. Johnny is going to try to lecture me as soon as we leave this room,” Mark complained as he grabbed his suitcase and slung his backpack on. They’d snuck back to his room at an ungodly hour last night, unnoticed for the most part. Mark decided that trying to slip out of the house as well was the cowardly thing to do. He was going to walk himself out of this damn manor. 

He was sort of regretting it now though. It was morning so they were definitely going to get caught if they tried to make a run for it. So the only option was to leave out the front door with their chins held high. 

“If anyone stops us, I’m going to bite them,” Donghyuk said, as if that would do anything. 

“I’ll go for the ankles. Together maybe we can crawl our way out of here.”

“That’s the spirit.” Donghyuk took his hand and grinned, his pink-tinted aviators back on. They both had thrown on jeans and nice enough button-ups, but Mark wasn’t going to try to get dressed up for anyone, especially not his family. “It’ll be fine,” Donghyuk assured, genuine. 

Mark smiled at him, fixing a strand of his fluffy hair. “Okay, I believe you.”

He glanced up at the once-Star-Wars-themed-now-spacescape-themed ceiling as they started out, finding the little X-wing. At least it was still flying here, even if he never would. A little piece of him would forever be painted onto the infamous Black Cherry Estate, a part of him that he'd gladly leave behind. 

“Let’s go.” 

They descended the steps that just last night they'd used to flee. In the entrance hall was Doyoung, probably waiting to take them to Hal-aboeji for his punishment. It would likely be worse than when he’d been caught last time he did this, because this time he did it in front of an entire party. It was about pride now. 

“You’re going to have to get more help if you plan on taking me. I’m not playing, Doyoung. I’ll fight you,” Mark warned as they finally reached the bottom of the stairs. Okay, fine, the sunglasses did make him feel a little more powerful. 

Doyoung cocked his head and a puff of a laugh escaped him. “To take you to the airport, Mark?” 

Mark stopped mid-stride. “What?”

“I’ve been ordered to take you to the airport.” 

“By who? Doesn’t… what about punishment?” Mark lowered the sunglasses.

Doyoung looked him over for a moment before sighing, face a little pinched. “It was decided to just let you go, Mark.” No more ‘young master’. He was just Mark. 

Mark was clenching his jaw so hard it ached. He wasn’t even worth punishing now? He was just being… let go. That made him madder than if he’d had to fight tooth and nail to escape. Because now, he was just being given up on. 

They didn’t see any hope in bringing him back.

“That coward,” Donghyuk scoffed. Doyoung made a face, still loyal to that ‘coward’. “Well tell him we don't need his _permission_ to leave.”

Mark slid his sunglasses back up and unclenched his fists. Donghyuk was right. He was bigger than this estate now. He didn’t need it. It wasn’t his loss—it was theirs. If they didn’t want to fight for him, then so be it. He didn’t want them to. 

“Thank him for the offer, but I already have a ride.” Mark slapped his friend lightly on the arm, dipping his head in goodbye, and turned on his heels to leave. 

“Mark, wait.”

He turned back to Doyoung. The valet stood stiffly, hands clasped in front of him and an awfully crumpled expression on his face. Doyoung was normally so good at hiding his emotions. “Take care of yourself. _Fighting_ ,” he added in Korean, holding up a little encouraging fist. 

Mark smiled, running a hand over his face before he made up his mind and padded back over and hugged the valet. Doyoung didn’t hesitate to hug him back.

“Thanks for being like a true brother, Doyoung,” Mark whispered, squeezing him once before stepping back again. Mark cleared his throat and took a deep breath. He really needed to stop getting choked up so much.

“Oh, glad I caught you!” Aunt Hwasa descended the stairs, still in a nightgown with her hair in a tangled mess and bare feet slapping against the marble floor. It was nearly noon. She looked around the empty entrance hall. “I’m the only one saying goodbye?” 

“Yeah.” Mark shrugged. He’d expected it. 

“Well, I’ll make it quick, then.” She walked right up and hugged him, patting the back of his head like he was a little kid. She didn’t say anything for a long time, just holding him. “I’m sorry I wasn’t very active in your life… In the future, though, I’ll make more of an effort. Why don’t you let me know when you have a concert or something. I’ll fly over.”

“You really like my music that much?” Mark tried to joke but wow he was going to cry. Thank god Donghyuk made him wear sunglasses. 

“Of course,” she said, patting him again, slightly awkward. “Okay, enough,” she pushed him off as kindly as she could. “I hate sappy shit. I’m going back to bed.” 

Mark laughed. “Okay, see you around, Auntie.”

“Mm-hm, bye kiddo. Nice meeting you, Donghyuk.” She sent them both a little wave and went back upstairs.

“Donghyuk…?” Doyoung questioned.

Neither of them offered an explanation, just shrugging. It didn’t matter anymore anyway. 

“Oh, yeah. I was supposed to give this to you once I dropped you off, but I guess I should do it now.” Doyoung reached into his pocket and pulled out a little envelope. Mark went to grab it and Doyoung pulled it away. “For your fiancé.”

“Oh!” Donghyuk lit up, snatching it out of Doyoung’s hand and tearing it open even as Doyoung made a strangled little noise, like he was going to say to wait. It was just a little white card with some writing on it and a polaroid photo. Mark leaned over to inspect it. It was a selfie of Donghyuk and Taeyong, probably from last night since Donghyuk had that lace shirt on, but it looked like they were both in the middle of doing their hair with all those pins and curlers. 

“I forgot we took this,” he said under his breath, smiling. He squealed like a fangirl as he read the card. “Oh my god. Too bad, Taeyong said he would have said goodbye but Jaehyun didn’t want to insult Hal-aboeji… But he thinks I’m funny and enjoyed hanging out with me, then he put his number! With a _heart_!” Donghyuk spoke in an almost incoherent rush, voice so high pitch it almost hurt Mark’s ears.

Mark rolled his eyes. “You know I could have given his number to you too.”

“Don’t ruin it, babe.”

“Sorry.”

Donghyuk hugged the card to his chest, looking emotional. “Best weekend _ever_.”

“Jesus Christ,” Mark muttered. “Let’s go.” He grabbed his boyfriend's collar and all but dragged him toward the door. 

“Bye!” Donghyuk yelled at Doyoung, suddenly in a good mood. Doyoung, shocked and a little nervous, just sent him a confused little wave back. 

Mark paused before he closed the door, taking one last look at the big entrance hall and its crystal chandelier. He startled because there, on the landing above them, was Mark’s Hal-aboeji. Staring down at him with an unreadable expression, all bent over in his wheelchair. They locked eyes and Mark swallowed, stomach churning. 

Then Mark took a deep breath, let the fresh air fill his lungs, remembered why he was leaving, and smiled at the old man. That’s all he was after all, just an old man in a big house.

Hal-aboeji stared at him for a long, tense moment before, unexpectedly, those wrinkles turned upward and a smile graced his lips. It was the first time Mark had been sent that look in years, the first time he was getting it as a new man. His grandfather didn’t say anything but just dipped his head in the faintest of nods. A farewell. The tiniest of acknowledgments to a man about to forge his own path the way Hal-aboeji had all those years ago.

Honestly, Mark wished he’d gotten that look four years ago, instead. 

He nodded his head back and turned away just like that, the door closing behind them as they stepped into the snowy day. They climbed into the taxi and while Donghyuk reread his little letter in a frenzy, Mark watched Black Cherry Estate grow smaller and smaller in the distance until it was nothing but a speck in a landscape of white rolling hills. Insignificant and unnoticeable. 

For a place with such a sweet name, Black Cherry Estate always left a sour taste in his mouth. No matter how much money his grandfather threw at it, it was always going to be a place rotting from the inside out, and Mark was done being a part of that.

He might not be getting the money he came for, but he didn’t mind. If it had meant throwing out everything he’d built and come to realize he actually cared about, then it wasn’t worth it. His life was only just starting, and as he looked at Donghyuk, a shining sun, he thought that maybe the future was a lot brighter than before.

  
  


~•❧•~

  
  
  


“So, Mark… where’s my signed bandana?”

“Fuck.”  
  


  
  


**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I really enjoyed writing this! Please leave a comment letting me know how you felt about this story! I really look forward to them. I worked really hard on this story so I hope it was at least fun reading it! 
> 
> Come say hi:  
> [Writing Twitter](https://twitter.com/Shadowdrifter2?s=09)  
> [CuriousCat](https://curiouscat.qa/Shadowdrifter)  
> 
> 
> _Also, since my story is somewhat relevant I wanted to bring up the[Racist Attacks on Asian Americans](https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkdw4z/attacks-on-elders-asian-american-community-racism-covid) that's been going on in the US. That is a link to an article I urge you to read. Please just be aware of these issues and take care of your Asian American neighbors. Thank you. _
> 
> It wouldn't have been possible without my diligent Beta as well! Thank you [**Stankris**](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stankris) ~
> 
> If this fic gets enough love I might write a sequel! I really want to see the band more as well as Mark go to Donghyuk's farm home, meet Donghyuks family and embarrass himself like the city-slicker he is. So let me know if you'd like more of this story! I loved creating this world so much, so I wouldn't mind writing more of it!


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